


Life After Lies

by kimurasato



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: 90s AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:21:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27942932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimurasato/pseuds/kimurasato
Summary: Daniel left California behind when he went off to college and didn’t look back. But when a small mistake leaves him miserable and heartbroken, he returns and maybe rediscovers what really makes him happy.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Comments: 113
Kudos: 131





	1. Chapter 1

“This is your big break! Off Broadway, sure, but everyone starts somewhere. People are going to see your play and love it. And then you’re going to become huge. The next great playwright!” But there was still that lingering hint of doubt in his blue eyes. “Hey, we’re in this together. I’ll always be there for you, Nate.” Daniel caught a hint of a smile on Nate’s face. This was a big break for them, and they should be celebrating their success. His arm was slung over Nate’s shoulders, and their heads were leaned in close. He couldn’t get his heart to stop pounding. Nate turned to him, and Daniel leaned in, pressing their mouths together. The second he did it, he realized his mistake. Nate sat there, still as a statue, until Daniel pulled back.

“You always pull such weird stuff, Danny,” Nate said, turning away with a shake of his head.

Daniel pulled his arm away like it was burned and leaned away from Nate. “Yeah,” he breathed out a shaky laugh, not looking at him, “must be the alcohol.” A lie because he barely touched any alcohol that night. Maybe a sip or two, but definitely not more than that.

“Yeah,” Nate agreed then stood. “I gotta head out now. I was supposed to meet up with Jane.”

“Yeah, of course.” Daniel shook his head, remaining where he sat on the bed.

Nate walked over to the door, but he paused, turning back. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, totally.” Daniel smiled. “I’m great. Probably should sleep off all that drinking though.” He laughed as Nate nodded then turned and left the room.

Daniel closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against the window as the scene replayed in his head for the millionth time since that night. His chest squeezed each time he remembered it. Each day he stayed in New York, it got worse until he finally decided it was time to leave. He couldn’t be around Nate, and especially not when Nate was with Jane.

He screwed his eyes shut tighter, fighting back the tears that wanted to come. A lump pushed its way into his throat. Why was he so stupid? He knew this would happen from the beginning if he ever acted on the feelings he had from the beginning. Nate didn’t like him like that. Nate was straight and in love with Jane. They would get married and have little kids, and Daniel would always be on the outside. Not for the first time, he regretted staying in New York. But he met Nate and got swept away by him. His first time falling for a guy, and it got all screwed up.

Now it felt like he was coming back to California with his tail between his legs. Daniel tried not to think about how Nate was going to react when he found out he left New York. He couldn’t face Nate and tell him he was leaving. He knew Nate would say something and convince him to stay. He also knew that would be a mistake worse than kissing Nate.

“We’re here,” the taxi driver announced, stopping the car.

Daniel opened his eyes and smiled at the familiar house of his sensei. After he paid the driver, he got out of the taxi and grabbed his bags from the trunk. Before Daniel even reached the front door, Mr. Miyagi was standing there, greeting him with a smile.

“Daniel-san, welcome home.” Mr. Miyagi bowed.

“It’s good to see you again, Mr. Miyagi.” Daniel bowed in return. Then Mr. Miyagi was ushering him into the house. “Thanks for letting me stay here.”

“Daniel-san, always welcomed.”

Daniel smiled in relief. If he went back to Newark to live with his mother, he knew she wouldn’t leave him alone until she found out what happened. Mr. Miyagi, at least, wouldn’t press him for an explanation. And Daniel had missed living in Reseda the whole time he was in New York. He only stayed there for Nate.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Miyagi.” Daniel carried his things through the house to his old room. “I’ll start looking for a job first thing tomorrow.”

Two weeks later, Daniel was fully settled back into Mr. Miyagi’s house, but he still hadn’t landed a job. He was out all day, running around town in search of a job, checking out anyplace with a help wanted sign. Resting his chin in his hand, he stared down at the newspaper then crossed out yet another failed job option. The newspaper was littered with red X’s, and he sighed tiredly. Tossing down the pen, he rubbed his face with his hands.

Daniel wished Mr. Miyagi’s Little Trees hadn’t failed. He wished he hadn’t taken the money from Mr. Miyagi to go to New York for college. If he had stayed in California, he wouldn’t be dealing with this heartache right now. He needed to get Nate out of his head. Maybe Nate didn’t even care that he left. He would have better opportunities without Daniel around, and he had Jane occupying whatever free time he had.

Standing up, Daniel gathered up his trash onto the tray then carried it over to the trash can with the newspaper stuffed under his arm. He dumped the trash then placed the tray on top. When he turned around, he bumped into someone who came up behind him. He stepped back, staring down at the mess of burger, ketchup, and mustard down his shirt. Great. This day was just perfect. What else could go wrong? Then he looked up and realized his day could get worse.

“Seriously, Johnny?” Daniel glared at the blond man in front of him, still holding onto his tray. He hadn’t seen Johnny since they graduated. LaRusso and Lawrence. They got stuck sitting next to each other for the whole ceremony, and they managed not to start fighting. He almost managed to forget who was next to him.

“I didn’t-” Johnny actually managed to look shocked.

“Whatever. Thanks. Because my day wasn’t shit enough already.” Daniel shoved past Johnny and left the diner. He headed for his car, raking a hand through his hair. Why did he have to run into Johnny of all people? He climbed into his car and slammed the door shut.

“LaRusso, wait!”

Daniel looked over to see Johnny running toward him. “Johnny, please just let me go. I’m not in the mood to get in a fight with you.”

Johnny frowned as he leaned on the door. “I wasn’t trying to start a fight with you.”

“Really?” Daniel lifted an eyebrow. “Because that’s usually how most of our interactions go.”

“As I recall, you started just as much shit as I did.” Johnny glared.

“Fine.” Daniel threw his arms up. “I’ll admit to that. Whatever. Can we just put it all behind us because I really don’t want to deal with it right now?”

“Look.” Johnny sighed. “I saw you sitting there, and I thought I should come talk to you. But then you got up to leave, so I was trying to catch you before you left.”

“Why?” Daniel’s brow knitted, puzzling over what Johnny said.

Johnny shifted his weight, dropping his gaze to the ground. “To apologize.” After a beat of silence, he lifted his gaze again. “For all that shit that happened. For what I did during the tournament.”

“You waited for almost a whole decade to say that?” Daniel held back the laugh that tried to escape. Johnny actually sounded sincere about his apology, and Daniel didn’t know how to feel about it. He never imagined Johnny apologizing to him. It was weird, but the knot of tension in his chest loosened a little.

“I had a lot of shit to work through.” Johnny rolled his eyes.

“Yeah.” Daniel looked down at his hands, picking absently at his thumbnail. He had some shit of his own to work out, and a lot of regrets. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have done a lot of that shit just to provoke you.”

“So why were you moping?”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t moping.”

“Sure looked like it.” Johnny’s mouth curved upward in that familiar half smirk.

“Whatever you want to believe.” Daniel glanced down at himself and sighed. “Look. I need to go clean up. I can’t exactly show up for job interviews like this.”

“You’re looking for a job?”

Daniel frowned, eying Johnny and waiting for him to make fun of him. “Well, I’ve only been back in town for two weeks.” He shrugged.

“Where were you before?” Johnny leaned on his folded arms, watching him with curious eyes.

“New York.” Daniel bit the corner of his lip, hating that just saying it immediately brought Nate back to his mind. “For school. Stuck around for a bit but decided to come back here.”

Johnny nodded. Then he held out his hand. “Let me see that newspaper.”

Daniel frowned at it. Why would Johnny want to see it? He handed it over, and Johnny grabbed it along with the pen he still held. He scribbled something down in a margin of the newspaper before holding it out to him.

“What is this?” Daniel stared at the writing, squinting to read the barely legible writing.

“Bobby’s dad is always looking for some more workers. He might hire you.”

Daniel blinked. His thoughts moved through his brain like molasses. Then his head snapped to Johnny. “Wait. Are you helping me?”

Johnny laughed. “If you’re going to be that slow, maybe he won’t hire you after all.”

Daniel shook his head. “Why would you help me?”

Johnny hunched his shoulders, but he was grinning. “You obviously need the help.”

Daniel rolled his eyes and tossed the newspaper and pen onto the passenger’s seat. “Gee, thanks.”

“You should give it a try. Even if it’s just something temporary.”

“Maybe,” Daniel mumbled.

Johnny nodded then stood up straight. “See you around, LaRusso.”

Daniel thought that was unlikely. “Bye, Johnny.” He watched Johnny walk away before he started his car. Shaking his head, he drove back to Mr. Miyagi’s house. Even if he never saw Johnny again, Daniel was glad they managed to have a conversation without throwing punches. When was the last time he actually practiced karate? He didn’t have the time for it while studying and living in New York. There were a few times he ended up needing to use it to protect himself. He winced, remembering the one mugger who drew a knife on him. A faint scar still remained on his left forearm.

Daniel parked, grabbing newspaper and pen, then climbed out of the car. He entered the house, finding it quiet and empty, but he wasn’t surprised. Mr. Miyagi was still keeping up with work, having found a new maintenance job at another apartment complex. Retirement hadn’t suited him since he liked to keep busy.

Daniel stared at the writing on the margin of the newspaper. Then he tossed it down on the table in the front room as he headed for the bathroom. Should he try getting a job working for Bobby’s dad? Before graduating, Bobby sought him out, more than once, to apologize for what happened in the tournament. Daniel forgave him, knowing Bobby only did it because Kreese ordered him to. But wouldn’t it be weird working for Bobby’s dad? Maybe, but a job was a job, and he couldn’t be picky right now. He dumped his dirty clothes in the laundry basket then hopped into the shower.

He was still debating things when Mr. Miyagi returned home. They cooked dinner together, easily falling back into old routines even after the years apart. Daniel rolled around the idea some more while they ate until Mr. Miyagi asked about how his life was in New York. Then all Daniel could think about was Nate and the aching pain in his chest.

“It was fine.” Daniel shrugged. “School was great. Did some jobs here and there. But I just don’t think New York was for me.” He ate the fish they cooked. He wasn’t sure he could even go back to Newark at this point. It didn’t feel like home to him anymore. When he finished his meal, he picked up his dishes. “I might head out tonight.”

“Oh?” Mr. Miyagi sipped his tea.

Daniel turned on the water in the kitchen sink and started washing his dishes. “I’ve been back for two weeks. I can’t spend every night just sitting around at home. How would I meet anyone?” He laughed, hoping Mr. Miyagi didn’t see right through him. He didn’t really care to meet anyone. But he knew he couldn’t spend the rest of his life moping around because of Nate.

Mr. Miyagi nodded with a hum. Daniel almost thought for sure Mr. Miyagi immediately read the truth of the situation just by looking at him. Sometimes, he hated that about his sensei, as much as he appreciated his wisdom. When he finished up with the dishes, Daniel grabbed his keys and coat.

“I’ll be back later.”

“Good night, Daniel-san.”

Daniel waved as he left the house. Once he was in his car, he didn’t know where to go. In the years he was away, Reseda had changed. Some places he once knew were gone and replaced with new buildings. But some places were still the same. He drove around town as the sky continued to darken. Eventually, he found himself at a bar.

Daniel drank his beer, imagining how Nate would celebrate the success of his play with Jane at his side. As if she ever did anything to help him with his career. He frowned into his beer. He should be the one to celebrate with Nate. He did everything he could to help and support Nate. He was the one pitching the play all around New York. Pushing those thoughts away, he drained the rest of his beer.

“You’re looking pretty down.”

Daniel turned his head as a woman took up the barstool next to him. She was pretty, her blonde hair in loose curls spilling over one shoulder. “Well, you know, heartache does that to a person.” He turned the bottle in his hands.

She nodded then leaned over to bump their shoulders together. “They say misery loves company, don’t they?”

Daniel thought about it then rolled a shoulder. “Yeah, I guess they do.”

“So,” she turned toward him, knocking their knees together, “want to talk about it?”

Daniel didn’t, but maybe with a stranger it would be easier. “Took a chance, kissed my friend, and-” He waved a hand like that explained everything.

“Ah.” She nodded. “She didn’t return your feelings, I take it.”

Daniel snorted, not bothering to correct her. “Not even a little. Plus, she was already seeing someone else. So, I pretty much ruined our friendship.”

“Her loss.” She placed a hand over his hand, smiling. “You seem like a pretty decent guy.”

Daniel glanced up at her. Oh. She was flirting with him. How many times had he missed someone taking interest in him because he was so focused on Nate? Now that he recognized it, he shifted awkwardly. “Um,” he licked his lip, “I’m Daniel.”

“Sylvia. You wanna get out of here?”

“Okay.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Did you skip lunch?”

The question snapped Johnny out of his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder then smiled when he saw the woman standing there. “No, Carmen, I didn’t skip.” He intended to eat lunch, even had his food, but then he ran into LaRusso. Literally. He still couldn’t believe after all this time he saw him again. After the graduation ceremony ended, he meant to speak with LaRusso, but they got pulled in different directions by family and, in Johnny’s case, friends. When the craziness of that day was all over, it felt like that would be the last time he ever saw LaRusso. They would go off to different colleges, and their lives would never intersect again.

Carmen squinted at him. “You say that, but then you work through your lunch break.” She walked over to his desk and dropped off a small Tupperware. “Just in case you want a snack.”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Thanks.” He did appreciate that she often looked after him like this. His stomach appreciated too. When she leaned back against the desk, folding her arms, Johnny lifted his gaze and frowned. “What?”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were in a good mood.” Carmen quirked an eyebrow upward.

Johnny shook his head. “Why would I be in a good mood? Harold was being even more frustrating today than yesterday. I swear he doesn’t want to get better.”

Carmen patted his shoulder. “Harold just doesn’t like accepting help. But I also don’t envy you having to put up with him.” She laughed when he groaned. “So, what is it? Did something good happen during your ‘lunch’ break?”

“I did go to lunch.” It was a waste of money since his lunch ended up all over LaRusso’s front.

“Tell me about it then.”

Johnny frowned at the amusement in her eyes. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“Okay.” Carmen raised her hands. “You can get out of it now. But I know where you live, and I don’t give up easily.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Johnny shooed her out of his office then went back to reviewing files until it was time for his next client’s session. He popped open the Tupperware and ate the ham and cheese sandwiches Carmen left for him.

Sometimes, he hated when Carmen was stubborn and refused to let something go. She would nag him about it until he finally caved and told her. But he also didn’t know what to tell her. What ‘good mood’ was she talking about? Nothing special happened other than bumping into LaRusso again. That was usually the cause of his bad moods. But their encounter this time was different. He still couldn’t believe LaRusso actually apologized to him in return.

He shook the thoughts from his head as he left to meet his next client. After that, he was too focused on his job to think of anything else. He liked some of his clients, but some of them frustrated the hell out of him. By the time he left to go home, he was exhausted. When he got to his apartment, he first opened his refrigerator to see what he had for dinner. Thanks to Carmen, he actually had food in there, rather than just beer, and she even started teaching him a few recipes. He still wasn’t very good at cooking any of them.

Carmen was actually probably the reason he made it through school, and they had stayed friends afterwards. Sometimes, Johnny wondered why they never ended up dating, but they had a good friendship that he didn’t want to ruin. Johnny also had to admit he never actually felt that attraction to her. Carmen was beautiful, smart, stubborn, funny, but Johnny only ever thought of her as a friend. It was probably better that way.

After dinner, Johnny got in a workout. He didn’t go out as often as he used to. Work kept him pretty busy. Sometimes, he would join Carmen, when she wanted to go out dancing. It usually went that he would go have a beer at the bar and keep watch. If he saw some guy not taking the hint that she wasn’t interested in him, Johnny would step in to make sure the guy took the hint. He was very protective of Carmen.

When he finished the workout, he hopped in the shower then went to bed. He had an early start at work tomorrow, and he wanted to be sure he got plenty of sleep.

Johnny dreamed, but the contents of the dream lingered at the fringes of his consciousness. He couldn’t recall any of the details. The more he tried to grab hold of it, the more it faded away from his memory. He opened his eyes, glaring at the clock. It was ten minutes before his alarm would go off. Climbing out of bed, he hit the button to turn off the alarm. He rubbed at his eyes as he headed to the bathroom.

When he stepped out into the main room of his apartment, Johnny stopped. The curtains of his window were drawn open, giving him clear sight to the person passing by his apartment. His feet moved before he was even conscious of it. He threw open the door and darted outside in only a pair of sweatpants.

“LaRusso!”

The man stopped, his body tensing. After a minute, he turned. His clothes were rumpled, and his hair stuck up in places. He shifted his weight, his eyes darting around but never looking at him. “Uh, hey, Johnny.”

“What are you doing here?” Johnny narrowed his eyes as LaRusso swallowed nervously. Judging from everything, he could make a guess.

“You live here?”

Johnny glanced back at the building then sighed as he pinched his nose. “Was it Sylvia?” He saw the color drain from LaRusso’s face and knew he was right. Folding his arms, he leaned against the wall. “Wow. The walk of shame, LaRusso? I never thought I’d witness that from you.” He smirked as LaRusso scowled, blushing hard.

“Just leave me alone.”

When LaRusso turned to leave, Johnny pushed away from the wall and hurried over to catch his arm. “Wait. I’m sorry. Okay?” He frowned as LaRusso stared angrily at the ground. “Hey,” he moved his hand to LaRusso’s shoulder, “is everything okay?”

LaRusso’s jaw clenched as he closed his eyes. “I just keep making mistakes.” He pressed his fingers to his eyes, hiding his face. “When did it get all messed up?”

Johnny was at a loss. LaRusso having a mental breakdown was the last thing he expected to deal with this morning. He sighed, squeezing his shoulder. “Do you want to have some breakfast? Maybe talk about it?”

LaRusso dropped his hands away from his face then frowned at him. “Are you just wanting to make fun of me?”

Johnny sighed, stepping behind LaRusso and pushing him toward the open door of his apartment. “No. You looked pretty bummed out yesterday.” They passed through the doorway, and Johnny kicked the door shut. “I thought it was just about the job thing, but clearly something else is bugging you.”

Johnny forced LaRusso to sit at the table by his kitchen. His apartment wasn’t much, and he waited tensely for LaRusso to make some kind of comment about it. Instead, LaRusso just sat there, moping with his head resting on his hand as he stared at the table. Johnny shook his head. This was a version of LaRusso he didn’t know what to do with. He grabbed the carton of eggs from his refrigerator.

“So,” he tossed a glance back to LaRusso, “what happened? Something to do with New York?” He put a pan on the stove and melted some butter in it.

LaRusso shrugged a shoulder. “Went to New York for school, met someone, fell in love.” He waved a hand. “That someone was already involved with someone else. Like an idiot, I kissed them, and,” he heaved a sigh, “just fucked up everything.”

Johnny glanced over while he cooked the eggs. “You weren’t this mopey after Ali dumped you.”

“You have to rub that in?” LaRusso shot a glare at him.

“Well, I guess this girl must be someone pretty special to you if you’re this heartbroken over her.” Johnny frowned. Just for a second, LaRusso made a face, but Johnny didn’t understand what it meant. “What happened after you kissed her?”

LaRusso turned his head away so Johnny could no longer see his face. “They went on a date. Then I came back here.”

“So, you’re not even going to fight for her?” Johnny understood why LaRusso ended up going home with Sylvia last night. He was probably trying to get over this girl by hooking up with someone else.

“No point.” LaRusso shook his head. “There’s no chance they’ll love me back.”

Johnny served the eggs up onto two plates. “Sounds like she’s a real idiot.” He walked over to the table and set the plates down. “And a one-night stand isn’t going to help you.”

“I wasn’t looking for a one-night stand.” LaRusso took the fork Johnny handed him. “I just thought I should get out of the house. Then Sylvia showed up, and I thought, ‘okay. Why not go home with her?’ Kind of regretting it now.”

“Did you check your wallet?” Johnny shoveled the eggs into his mouth.

LaRusso frowned at him for a long time then dug his wallet out of his pocket. He flipped through it then tossed it onto the table. “I’m such an idiot.” He rubbed at his face.

“How much did she get off you?”

“I only carried, like, sixty bucks in there.”

Johnny nodded. “It could have been worse. You’re lucky she only deals in cash.”

“Nothing about me is lucky.”

“You’re making me want to pick a fight just so you stop being so mopey.”

“I’m so sorry my shitty life is ruining your breakfast.” LaRusso dropped his hands onto the table and glared at him.

“You’re not the only one with a shitty love life. Did you try Bobby’s dad yet?”

LaRusso shook his head. “I gave up job searching for the day after I got home to change.”

“You should give it a try.”

“Maybe,” LaRusso mumbled. “So, what makes your love life so shitty?”

“I don’t have one.”

LaRusso snorted. “Yeah, right.”

Johnny lifted an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

“Uh, because you’re you?” LaRusso stared at him like that explained everything. “Every girl in our grade liked you. You can’t tell me you’re having trouble finding someone interested in you.”

“Well, maybe, if I actually went out every night.” Johnny shrugged. “When I do go out, I’m not really looking to hook up. Some women might approach me, but usually I’m more focused on looking out for a friend of mine. I don’t want to see her getting hurt.”

LaRusso stared at him with a strange look in his eyes, and Johnny frowned. “You’ve really changed.” He dropped his gaze, maybe a hint of a smile on his face as he pushed the eggs around on his plate.

“Yeah, well,” Johnny leaned back in his chair, “took me a while to get to where I am.” After Kreese, and Sid, there was a lot of bullshit drilled into his head that he had to address and unlearn. Some therapy had helped, though he wasn’t about to admit that to LaRusso. “Not like you stayed the same either.”

“Yeah.” LaRusso sighed heavily.

Johnny leaned back to look at the time on the microwave. “So, I’m not trying to kick you out or anything, but I do need to get ready for work soon.” When he looked back, he realized LaRusso had barely even touched the eggs.

“Right. Work. Yeah.” LaRusso shook his head, snatching up his wallet as he stood. “I should be getting back home anyway. Sorry I’m taking up all your time.”

Johnny got up and followed him to the door, catching LaRusso’s arm before he could leave. “Hey, look. I know we’re not friends or anything.”

“Didn’t really have many friends out here anyway,” LaRusso mumbled, gaze lingering on the hand on his arm.

“Right.” Johnny winced, knowing he was in part to blame for that. “Sorry about that.” But LaRusso merely shrugged like it didn’t matter. “Anyway, if you just need someone to talk to, you know where I live now.”

LaRusso lifted his head with a furrowed brow. “I don’t know how to deal with you being nice. It’s weird.”

Johnny laughed. “Yeah, I guess it’s a little weird. But I do mean it.”

LaRusso nodded, his gaze drifting away. “Thanks.” His gaze flicked up quickly then away again. “I should, uh, get going.”

“See you around, LaRusso.”

“Bye, Johnny.”

Leaning against the doorframe, Johnny watched LaRusso walk off toward the apartment’s parking lot. When LaRusso was out of sight, Johnny realized they hadn’t been alone in the courtyard. He turned his head and winced inwardly when he saw Carmen stepping out of her apartment. Shit. He turned to enter his apartment again, but Carmen beat him to closing the door.

“So, who was that?” Carmen’s teasing smile made him want to groan.

Johnny walked back to his bedroom with her following after him. “Just someone I knew from high school. Don’t make a thing out of it. Because there’s not a thing.”

“Really, Johnny?” Carmen shook her head. “You were in nothing but sweatpants, and his clothes were all rumpled up. You’re telling me nothing happened?”

Johnny sighed as Carmen raised an eyebrow. “Nothing happened.” He grabbed his work clothes and started getting dressed. “I caught him leaving.”

“Oh.” Carmen’s mouth pursed. “Sylvia.”

“Yup.” Johnny sat down on his bed to put on his shoes.

“So, was he one of the friends you told me about?”

Johnny shook his head. He told Carmen about his friends when they first met, and a bit about the whole drama with LaRusso. She called him an idiot for starting up that shit. She was right, but LaRusso was also to blame for everything that happened. It still surprised him to get an apology from LaRusso.

“Come on.” Johnny got to his feet and guided Carmen out of his room. “We can’t be late for work.”

“Okay. Okay.” Carmen held up her hands as Johnny grabbed his key, wallet, and coat. “He’s cute though.”

“Carmen.” Johnny glared, but it only made her giggle on her way out of his apartment. He shook his head as he followed her. Why did he tell her so much about himself?

“See you later.” Carmen kissed him on the cheek.

“Hope you made something good for lunch.” Johnny smiled as she walked to the lot. He locked up his apartment then glanced over to see if Carmen had left yet. When the coast was clear, he headed up the stairs to the second floor of the complex. Sylvia’s apartment was the first door at the top of the stairs. He knocked.

Sylvia grinned when she opened the door. “Never expected you to come knocking on my door, Johnny boy.”

“I’m here about the guy you brought home last night.”

“Mm, he was a cutie.” Sylvia folded her arms as she leaned against the doorframe. “What’s he to you?”

Johnny narrowed his eyes at the lazy smile on her face. “The guy’s not in the best place in his life right now. He didn’t even know who he was going home with. And whatever he did with you last night isn’t what he needs right now.”

“He’s a big boy, Johnny. He can make his own choices.” Sylvia’s smile turned into a frown. “I’m not giving the money back.”

“Didn’t expect you to.” Johnny clenched a fist. LaRusso didn’t seem to be in the best state of mind to make good decisions. “Just stay away from him. Okay?”

Sylvia shrugged. “Honestly, I almost regret taking the money. I don’t usually pick up a guy that’s more interested in making me feel good over himself. See you around, Johnny.” She closed the door while he was still trying to puzzle out that statement.

Shaking his head, Johnny jogged back down the stairs then walked across the courtyard to the lot. He needed to get LaRusso out of his head and focus on work. But that miserable look on his face still lingered in his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Daniel raked a hand through his hair as he walked up to the front door of Mr. Miyagi’s house. The truck was gone, so he didn’t have to worry about being questioned by Mr. Miyagi. He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. It was already bad enough that Johnny caught him leaving Sylvia’s place. He closed the door behind him then leaned back against the door. How many more mistakes was he going to make? It felt like he kept digging himself into a deep hole that he was never going to get out of.

“Why did I ever go to New York?”

His only answer was the phone ringing. Daniel pushed away from the door and walked over to the phone.

“Hello?”

“Oh, Daniel!” his mother said in relief. “You had me so worried! I called your place in New York, and your friend said you hadn’t been there for a couple of weeks. Why didn’t you tell me you left? Is everything okay? Did something happen with Mr. Miyagi?”

“No,” Daniel shook his head, closing his eyes, “everything’s fine, ma. I just felt like coming back here.”

“Daniel,” his mother’s voice turned sterned, and he winced. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. New York just,” he opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling, “wasn’t working out for me.”

“Really?” She was frowning. “Your friend said you’d just landed some big break. It sounded like he really needed you there.”

Daniel rubbed at his eyes. “Yeah, that’s really his thing. I didn’t have anything to do with it.” Except he did. He had a lot to do with Nate getting that break.

“Daniel, I hope you’ll tell me if something’s wrong.”

“I promise everything’s fine. Look.” Daniel sighed. “I need to go help Mr. Miyagi with a project. I’ll call you again later.” He hung up the phone before his mother could say anything more. He frowned at the phone. His mother talked to Nate. What did he tell her? What did she tell him?

Shaking his head, he walked to the bathroom. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he grimaced at his reflection. He looked like a mess, and he was even more glad Mr. Miyagi wasn’t home. Grabbing his toothbrush, he squeezed out more toothpaste than necessary then scrubbed every inch of his mouth. Last night was a mistake. What was he thinking going home with some random woman from a bar? He didn’t even do that in New York. Did Sylvia think he was weird? In her line of work, probably. He spit into the sink then rinsed his mouth out.

After he changed his clothes, he walked out into the garden. His gaze swept around it, remembering its construction in various stages. He had so many memories of building and training here. Sometimes, he wished he could go back to those days. It felt so much simpler back then when his biggest concern was dealing with bullies and chasing after Ali when he wasn’t busy keeping up with his classes. Training with Mr. Miyagi was still his best memory. There were still bad memories, but the good far outweighed them.

“Breath,” Daniel mumbled with a nod. When his life spun out of control, returning to the most basic lesson had always helped. He forgot about it while living in New York. He walked out into the center of the garden then pressed his hands together. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply then exhaled slowly as he followed Mr. Miyagi’s teachings. After the mediation, he slipped into practicing his kata. It was easy to fall back into the old habit, like he had never stopped. He missed this, and he couldn’t believe he let himself forget about it while in New York.

When he finished, Daniel felt more centered, calmer, more in control of himself. He walked back into the house, his stomach grumbling from not eating much at breakfast. He poked around in the kitchen until he settled on making a simple sandwich. None of the places he applied to called him back yet. He frowned as he ate his lunch. In New York, he had a couple of jobs just to be able to pay his share of the rent. Why was he struggling so much here? His gaze turned to where he left the newspaper. Maybe he should try Bobby’s dad after all. Mr. Miyagi seemed okay with him taking his time to find a job, but Daniel needed to keep himself busy. If he hung around the house all day, he would slip back into moping over his broken heart.

After finishing his lunch, Daniel picked up the newspaper. Johnny’s handwriting was terrible. How did he even read it? He rewrote the address as best he could decipher onto an index card. Then he grabbed his keys and left the house. It took him some time driving around to find the place. When he parked in the yard, he suddenly felt a lot less confident about this idea. But Johnny said he was usually looking for more workers. One of the employees led him to the office.

“Uh, hi, Mr. Brown,” Daniel said, shifting his weight as he glanced around the office. He swallowed down the lump in his throat as the man frowned at him. He could see the resemblance to Bobby, but his father had a stricter look to him.

Mr. Brown squinted then his eyes opened wider. “You’re that LaRusso kid!”

Daniel blinked. “Uh, yeah, Daniel LaRusso.”

Mr. Brown shook his head. “I was there at that tournament.”

“Oh.” Daniel winced, biting his lip. Maybe this was a bad idea after all.

“I was angry when my Bobby got disqualified.”

“I’m sorry.” Daniel dropped his gaze.

“I’m not blaming you, kid.”

Daniel’s head jerked up.

“Bobby explained everything afterward. About how Kreese made him do it.” Mr. Brown spat Kreese’s name like a curse. “Sorry about the knee.”

“Oh, uh, it healed up fine.” Daniel glanced down at his left knee. The recovery period had frustrated him, not being able to do much of anything but rest his knee. Then he lifted his gaze back to Mr. Brown. “Uh, I was looking for a job. Johnny said you might be looking to hire.”

“Johnny Lawrence?” Mr. Brown’s eyebrows shot upward. “Well, I suppose I could use an extra hand. You know anything about construction? Not really looking to hire someone with zero experience.”

“I helped my sensei build an entire extra room onto his house, and helped with the landscaping. I had a few jobs as a mechanic and handyman while I was living in New York. I had to pay for rent and college tuition somehow.”

Mr. Brown glanced him over, perhaps thinking Daniel didn’t look strong enough for some of the work he would have to do. Then he shrugged. “All right. We’ll start with a trial period. Stop in early tomorrow, and I’ll send you out with a team on this big job we have. But,” he held up a finger, “if you can’t keep up, I won’t hire you.”

Daniel bobbed his head. “I can do it!”

Mr. Brown nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, LaRusso.”

Daniel bowed his head, keeping his eyes on him. “Thank you, Mr. Brown.”

As he headed back to his car, Daniel felt better about his life. Throwing himself into construction work would be a good distraction. But it was still the early afternoon. What was he supposed to do with the rest of his day? In New York, he was always busy, first with school, then with work. Everything was a rush, scraping together money just to survive. Being back in California felt more laid back. He could hit the beach and just sit there watching the waves roll in until the sun set, if he wanted. He definitely needed that time to relax. Now that he secured a job, mostly, he felt all the aches and exhaustion from the years of stress. He drove to the beach.

The beach was just as he remembered, though he hadn’t seen it since he left for New York. He stood by the water’s edge, his pants rolled up and his shoes hanging from his hand. With a wide smile, he dug his toes into the sand as the water rushed forward over his feet. The water was cold, but he enjoyed the feel of it. But like everywhere in Reseda, the beach had its good memories and its bad. He remembered the first time he saw Ali but also his first beating from Johnny.

Ali. Daniel didn’t think about her as much as he used to. He didn’t even know what happened to her after they all graduated from high school. When he thought back to their relationship now, they weren’t happy thoughts. The beginning was good, even with Johnny’s harassment, but toward the end, things became strained between them. When they broke up, he was furious, though maybe a little of that had to do with her wrecking his car. Now all those feelings were just whispers of memories that lingered for a second then faded away. He wished he was at that point with Nate.

As the sky darkened, Daniel decided it was time to head home. He stopped at the store on the way, picking up some ingredients for dinner. Mr. Miyagi was already home when he arrived. Daniel entered the house, carrying the grocery bags with him. Mr. Miyagi looked up to him as he hung up the phone.

“Hey, Mr. Miyagi,” Daniel greeted, smiling as he walked toward the kitchen. “Who was that on the phone? Please tell me it wasn’t my ma again.”

“No, Daniel-san, not mother.” Mr. Miyagi wore an amused smile, and Daniel frowned. He didn’t answer the question. “Daniel-san in good mood today.”

“Got a job.” Daniel placed the bags down on the counter and started pulling items out. “Well, he says it’s trial period, but I feel pretty good about it.”

“This is good news.” Mr. Miyagi patted Daniel on the shoulder then helped him with the groceries. “Why not come home last night?”

Daniel winced. He should have expected that. “Oh, uh, I lost track of time?” He pulled out a cutting board and knife to start preparing dinner.

“Lying not good, Daniel-san.” Mr. Miyagi frowned severely, making him feel worse.

“Sorry. It’s just kind of embarrassing, Mr. Miyagi.” Daniel sighed when the frowned remained in place. “I met someone at a bar and went home with her.”

“No need to be embarrassed. Daniel-san is still young.” Mr. Miyagi nodded. “But I hope Daniel-san was safe.” His eyes twinkled with amusement.

Daniel groaned, hanging his head. “This is why it’s embarrassing!” Sighing, he focused on cutting up the vegetables. “Can we not talk about it? I already regret it.”

“Not like this woman?”

Daniel shrugged. “I don’t really know her. It was more that I was just trying to forget someone else.”

“Daniel-san care very much for this someone?”

Daniel put the knife down with a frown. “He loves someone else.” He kept his gaze down, too scared to look at his sensei. For years, he kept the secret so close to his heart. He hadn’t dared to tell anyone.

A hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed it. “Daniel-san will find someone.”

Daniel lifted his gaze. When he looked into Mr. Miyagi’s eyes, he didn’t see any hate in them. “You’re okay with me liking guys?”

“Love is important. Boy. Girl.” Mr. Miyagi shook his head. “Matter not. Matter what feel here.” He touched Daniel’s chest.

“Thanks, Mr. Miyagi.” Daniel smiled.

Mr. Miyagi nodded, and they returned to cooking dinner. A weight lifted off Daniel’s shoulders. It felt good to tell someone after holding it in for so long, even if it was scary. He didn’t know what he would do if Mr. Miyagi rejected him after Daniel told him. Mr. Miyagi was like a father to him. He imagined the rejection would hurt far worse than Nate not returning his feelings.

When dinner was ready, they sat down at the table together. Daniel took a few bites before looking up at Mr. Miyagi.

“I’ve been thinking I should get back into training,” he announced. “I know with work, there might not be a lot of free time, but I think it would be good for me. To train again.”

Mr. Miyagi seemed to consider it for several minutes. “Hm. House could use fresh coat of paint.”

Daniel smiled. “I’m guessing the fence too.”

Mr. Miyagi smirked. “No complaining this time.”

“I know what I’m getting into this time.” Daniel chuckled. “That pond was new.” He noticed it earlier when he was practicing his kata.

Mr. Miyagi nodded. “Finished last year. For balance wheel.”

Daniel’s brow drew together. “Balance wheel?” He laughed somewhat. “Didn’t I already learn balance?” But he was rusty. Returning to the basics wasn’t a terrible idea.

“Daniel-san learn later.” Mr. Miyagi smiled secretively. “May need partner.”

Daniel frowned. “I never needed a partner before. Do you have another student?”

Mr. Miyagi shook his head, saying nothing more on the subject. Daniel poked at his dinner, pondering over the idea of having a partner. His training had always just been him and Mr. Miyagi. Who was he even supposed to get to be his partner, if Mr. Miyagi didn’t already have another student?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who else is freaking out over that season 3 trailer? Because I am!
> 
> I should really get back to that post season 2 fic I was working on before getting distracted with this fic.


	4. Chapter 4

“Come on, Johnny.” Carmen bumped her shoulder against his as they ate lunch together. “How many times are you going to make me ask?”

Johnny rolled his eyes. Carmen had pestered him all week. “I already told you. I know him from high school. What else do you want to know?” He stabbed his fork into the chicken salad, making a face, but Carmen insisted on making him eat more than just burgers and fries all the time.

Carmen leaned her chin on her hand. “It feels like there’s more to the story. If he was just some random guy from high school, would you really have invited him in for breakfast when he was sneaking away from Sylvia’s?” Then a smile slipped onto her face as she dropped her hand onto his arm. “Oh! Is he the reason you were in such a good mood when you came back from lunch last week?”

Johnny groaned. “You’re really not going to drop this, are you?”

Carmen grinned, shaking her head. “Nope.”

Sighing, Johnny dropped his fork in his salad and pushed the bowl away from him. “Remember when I told you about that tournament and leaving karate?”

Carmen thought for a moment then nodded. “I remember you being very sparse on the details of that story.”

“LaRusso was the one who beat me in the final match.” Johnny frowned when Carmen continued to stare at him expectantly. She knew there was still more to the story. He sighed. “I may have made his life miserable when he showed up. I mean, to be fair, he wasn’t some innocent angel in that whole mess either.” He laughed, shaking his head. “He definitely didn’t know how to stay down.”

“Mmhm.” Carmen watched him with a strange look in her eyes. “And you just started making each other’s lives miserable for no reason?”

“He moved in on my ex-girlfriend. I just wanted to talk with her, and he butted his way into the conversation.”

“Okay, Johnny.” Carmen patted his arm with a ghost of a smile pulling at her mouth. “I need to get back to work now.”

Johnny frowned when she grinned at him with a little twinkle in her eyes. As she walked out of the cafeteria, he sighed and picked up his trash to throw away. He didn’t need to be told he handled the situation badly. He knew that, but he was also a stupid teenager at the time. Sid and Kreese filling his head with their bullshit didn’t help the situation either. After he dumped the trash, he headed back to work.

His last patient of the day was a challenge. Noah was a young kid, only thirteen years old, who was relearning to walk after being in a terrible car accident. He complained the whole time that it was too hard and he was too tired. It wasn’t Johnny’s first time dealing with a difficult patient, but he still had to stamp down that initial surge of frustration. Patience was a hard learned skill for him, but he did his best to be firm but gentle with the boy.

When he finally made it back to his apartment, Johnny grabbed a Coors Banquet from his refrigerator. Noah was making progress, but it was a lot slower than Johnny liked. He did his best to be encouraging, but he wasn’t sure Noah listened to him at all. Sighing, he placed the bottle down on the counter.

Someone knocked on his door.

Johnny shook his head as he walked over to answer it. “Carmen-” He froze after opening the door. His mouth snapped shut as he stared at LaRusso. What was he doing here? Johnny did remember offering to talk, if LaRusso needed it, but part of him didn’t think LaRusso would take him up on the offer.

LaRusso’s brown eyes darted around as he shifted his weight. “Uh, sorry if I’m interrupting.” His hair was a bit longer than it was in high school, his bangs flopping down over his forehead, almost into his eyes. It was still as soft looking as ever though.

Johnny gave his head a shake. “Nope. Not interrupting anything.” His eyes flicked down, noting the plastic bag hanging from LaRusso’s hand.

“Oh?” LaRusso’s eyebrows lifted. “It sounded like you were expecting someone else.”

Johnny waved it off as he stepped aside so LaRusso could enter his apartment. “I just figured it would be my neighbor. She comes over a lot.”

“Just a neighbor?” LaRusso teased with a quirk of his mouth as he walked inside.

“And a friend.” Rolling his eyes, Johnny closed the door. “We’ve known each other since school and work at the same hospital. What’s in the bag?”

“Oh, uh, just some dinner.” LaRusso glanced at the bag in his hand. “Hospital?” His gaze snapped back to Johnny. “You became a doctor?”

Johnny snorted on his way to the kitchen. “Nothing that fancy. I’m just a physical therapist. Want anything to drink? I got orange juice and beer.”

LaRusso shrugged. “The beer, I guess.” He walked over to the table and pulled out a container from the bag. “Physical therapy, huh? That’s pretty cool.”

Johnny grabbed another Banquet and twisted the cap off, flicking it into the trash can in the corner of his kitchen. Then he carried both bottles over to the table. When he saw what LaRusso pulled out of the bag, his nose wrinkled. “You brought sushi?”

LaRusso blinked. “You don’t like sushi?” He took the beer when Johnny passed it to him as he sat.

“Not really the kind of thing I think of first when I’m hungry.”

LaRusso laughed as he snapped a pair of chopsticks apart. “I wasn’t exactly a fan either until Mr. Miyagi started training me. I mean, we ate plenty of fish, but sushi was more of a special occasion kind of thing. We had a huge spread of it before we left Okinawa.” He skillfully picked up one of the sushi rolls with his chopsticks then held it out toward Johnny.

“I think I’d rather not.” Johnny stared at the sushi in front of his face like it offended him.

“Oh, come on!” LaRusso grinned. “Just try one. You never know. You might like it.”

Johnny doubted that, but LaRusso didn’t look like he was about to back down. Sighing, Johnny decided to bite the bullet if only to make him stop. He wrapped his mouth around the sushi. LaRusso pulled back the chopsticks, waiting eagerly for Johnny’s reaction. Biting into the sushi, Johnny’s face immediately scrunched up at the unpleasant taste filling his mouth. He shook his head and jumped to his feet. Hurrying over to the trash can, he spat the sushi into it then grabbed a glass from the cupboard. After swishing some water around in his mouth, the taste was still there.

“Ugh, I can’t believe I let you make me eat that!” Johnny glared at LaRusso as he returned to the table.

LaRusso was snickering behind his hand. “Sorry,” though he didn’t sound sorry at all. “I didn’t think you would hate it that much.”

Johnny huffed as he dropped into his chair again. Then he blinked when he noticed the wrapped burger and carton of fries in front of him. “Oh, you’re such a dick.” He scowled as he snatched up the burger and started unwrapping it.

LaRusso bit his lip, trying hard not to keep snickering as he picked up another sushi roll. He popped it into his mouth, enjoying the sushi far more than Johnny had.

“So, what is this all about?” Johnny took a large bite out of the burger, hoping it would rid him of the lingering taste of sushi.

LaRusso gulped down the sushi. “It’s, um, a thank you dinner.” He dropped his gaze, clicking the end of the chopsticks together.

Johnny stared, slowly chewing his burger before swallowing. “Thank you?” he repeated with deep creases in his brow. “Thank you for what?”

“Mr. Brown officially hired me today.” LaRusso rolled his lip between his teeth. “He had me on a trial period this past week.”

Johnny grinned. “See? I told you he would hire you.”

LaRusso smiled then flicked his gaze up to Johnny. “And that’s why I thought I should get you dinner as a thank you.”

“And your first thought was sushi?” Johnny laughed.

“No, my first thought was the burger. I just wanted to see how you would react to the sushi.” LaRusso picked up another roll to stuff into his grinning mouth.

“Dick,” Johnny muttered with a chuckle. “So, the work is going okay?”

LaRusso nodded. “I’ve missed this kind of work. I used to help Mr. Miyagi with projects around his house. Definitely better than that stupid mail courier job I had. I can’t tell you how many times I nearly got ran over because people in New York drive crazy.”

“Sounds like a terrible job.” Johnny popped some fries into his mouth.

“Eh, that was just one of a dozen or more jobs I had. I barely had time to sit and relax. I was always running all over the place.”

Johnny flicked his gaze over LaRusso, who practically swam in the brown sweater he wore over the button up shirt. He still looked like he was years younger than his actual age, but he had lost that baby fat in his cheeks, giving him a more mature look. Johnny snapped his gaze away before he stared for too long.

“And I thought going to school for physical therapy was stressful.” Johnny raised his gaze again with a thoughtful tilt of his head. “Why did you go to New York anyway? Couldn’t you have just studied here for whatever?”

LaRusso stared pointedly at the table, his mouth pursing slightly. Then he shrugged. “I guess a change seemed like a good idea. I hadn’t been back east in forever, and New York isn’t that far away from Newark. I studied business.” He snorted a laugh. “Not that it did me much good.”

“Why business?”

“I guess I thought if I learned more about how to run a business, we could have reopened Mr. Miyagi’s Little Trees. Mr. Miyagi didn’t want to try again. He already got a new job while I was at college, so I just stayed in New York.”

Johnny nodded. He remembered seeing that place, once. The next time he went looking for it, the place was already closed down. He ended up having to look up Mr. Miyagi’s house so he could apologize to him, as part of his therapy. He wanted to apologize to LaRusso at that same time, but Mr. Miyagi said he already went off to college. A missed chance that would take several more years before he could make the apology.

“Because of that girl?” Johnny smirked as LaRusso shifted in his seat.

“A pretty poor reason, huh?” His laugh was hollow, drawing a frown to Johnny’s face.

“What was she like?” Johnny thought he saw a twitch every time he mentioned the woman.

LaRusso shook his head, not meeting Johnny’s gaze. “We met not long after I got to college. And I guess I kind of got swept away. They showed me around everywhere, mostly around Broadway. They wanted to have their name on one of those marquees one day. To have their play produced and seen by thousands. I guess I got hooked into the idea and wanted to do whatever I could to support them and make that dream come true. I was working my butt off to make enough for our rent and then schmoozing the night away at fancy artsy parties to help them find a producer when trying to get meetings at their offices failed. Other nights, I was trying to help them with writing their play.”

Johnny frowned at the wistfulness in LaRusso’s voice. Something about the whole story nagged him. Several somethings, to be honest, but he couldn’t pin down all the things that bothered him. “Sounds like you did a lot for her. What did she do for you?”

LaRusso snapped his head up, big brown eyes staring in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “You were doing all this stuff for her, for her dream. And she did nothing to support you? Did you even have your own dream to chase? The way you talk, it sounds like you poured everything into her and threw away your own identity. Even if she loved you back, it wouldn’t have been a healthy relationship.”

LaRusso squinted at him. “What happened to the Johnny Lawrence from high school?”

Johnny laughed. “Years of therapy.” He shrugged as LaRusso stared wide eyed at him. “Is that really surprising? After,” he coughed to clear his throat and shifted in his seat, “the tournament, after graduation, I didn’t handle things well.”

LaRusso grimaced, lowering his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault Kreese couldn’t handle losing.” Johnny sneered when he said the name. He might still hold anger toward the man he once looked up to as a father, but he could deal with those feelings a lot better now. “Though I guess you did win with an illegal kick,” he teased.

LaRusso huffed. “And you had an illegal contact to my knee.” He shook his head like he was shaking away the burst of anger. “Sorry. I know you only did it because Kreese ordered you too.”

“Still doesn’t mean I should have followed it.” Johnny couldn’t count the number of times he wished he had ignored Kreese’s order. He wished he had fought fairly. Staring at LaRusso across from him, he had an itch. He wanted to spar against him. Who would win this time, if they fought fairly, without Kreese’s influence on him?

“Maybe. But I don’t think you should beat yourself up about it.” LaRusso shrugged. “Besides, my knee healed up fine.” He set down the chopsticks and stretched his arms over his head. “I can’t tell you how long it’s been for me to sit down with someone and just talk. And not have it be all about work stuff. I mean, other than Mr. Miyagi. I love him, but it’s nice talking with someone my own age.” He laughed, bringing his beer bottle to his mouth.

Johnny sort of smiled, but it only reminded him of what LaRusso said about this woman he liked. “You deserve someone better,” he mumbled.

“What?” LaRusso lowered the bottle.

Johnny shook his head. “Since you’re already here, you want to watch a movie?”

LaRusso stared for a minute then shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Yo, LaRusso!”

Daniel jerked his head around, seeing one of his co-workers running up to him. He smiled at Carl, who had taken him under his wing his first day on the job. Carl had several inches on him and was built like a barn. Daniel was fairly certain Carl thought he was going to have to train him in everything when he first saw him. Which, yeah, that was probably fair. Compared to the other employees, he could be described as scrawny. He felt a sense of pride in proving to all of them that he actually knew what he was doing.

“What’s up, Carl?”

“Me and some of the guys are going out tonight.” Carl rolled a shoulder with a friendly smile. “We thought you might like to tag along.”

Daniel blinked, caught by surprise. He got along pretty well with the others. They talked and joked around while working. It was a far better environment than some of his other jobs. But this was the first time in the couple of weeks he worked there that any of them were asking him to hang out with them outside of work.

“Yeah, sure. Just let me know when and where.”

“I’m usually the designated driver, so if you want, I can just swing by and pick you up.”

“Oh, yeah. That, uh, that works.” Daniel bobbed his head then told him how to get to Mr. Miyagi’s house. “It’s a bit out of the way. Sorry.” He winced.

“Don’t worry about it.” Carl patted his shoulder. “The guys’ll be happy to have you come out with us for once.”

“To be fair, this is the first time you’ve invited me.”

Carl laughed. “Okay. You got me there. See you tonight.” He waved as he turned to walk to his own car.

“See you.” Daniel waved back then climbed into his car.

He was feeling a lot better than he had in a while, but his thoughts sometimes strayed back to Nate. A frown settled into place as he drove home. It sneaked up on him sometimes, usually when he was alone, and his heart gave a painful twist. Then his talk with Johnny would come to mind. He hadn’t expected the conversation to go the way it did. It was supposed to be a simple thank you dinner. Nothing more.

_What did she do for you?_

Of course, Johnny thought he was talking about a woman. Daniel had no plans on correcting him. How would Johnny react if he knew it was a man Daniel was heartbroken over? Daniel grimaced, imagining it wouldn’t go over too well. But the question kept repeating over in Daniel’s head since that night a week ago. What did Nate do for him? Daniel had many fond memories with him. But when he pushed past those and really thought about their relationship, he couldn’t think of one instance when Nate did anything to support him. Daniel was the one who gave up everything to help Nate with his dream.

Daniel sighed as he parked outside Mr. Miyagi’s house. Johnny was right. It was a bad relationship from the start. Now that he knew it, Daniel hoped he would have an easier time letting go of his feelings for Nate.

Once he got inside, Daniel changed into some casual clothes then met Mr. Miyagi outside. They ran through meditation and kata and worked on his technique. Daniel felt rusty at first, training against Mr. Miyagi, but as he fell back into the rhythm of things, it got easier. No matter how tired or sore he was after work, he wouldn’t allow it to distract him from his training.

Daniel wiped his face with a towel after they finished with the night’s session. Not for the first time, his gaze lingered on the pond. Since they started training again, he noted the bonsai trees that had previously balanced on opposite sides of the wooden circular platform in the pond were removed. Draping his towel around his neck, he looked back to his sensei.

“When were we going to start with that balance wheel thing?”

Mr. Miyagi glanced over to the pond, considering it for a few moments. “Not ready yet.”

Daniel sighed. “Come on, Mr. Miyagi! I’m balanced!” He left the towel on the deck then made his way over to the pond. “How hard can it be?” Before Mr. Miyagi could protest, Daniel dipped his foot into the pond. He sucked in a sharp breath at the coldness but plunged forward, climbing into the waist deep water.

“Not a good idea, Daniel-san.”

Daniel waded over to the platform and braced his hands on it. When he tried to climb up, the platform tilted toward him. Frowning, he adjusted, again and again, failing a number of times before he was able to climb onto the platform. The platform rocked under him, and he wobbled, arms flailing at his sides as he struggled to steady himself.

“See?” Daniel grinned at his sensei. “I can do it.”

Mr. Miyagi shook his head as he bent over. Daniel almost missed it. Mr. Miyagi threw the stone with a flick of his wrist. Daniel twisted, his body immediately recalling the drum technique to avoid being struck by the stone. The platform tilted. His feet slipped out from under him. He hit his back hard on the platform, which flipped over and dunked him into the pond. He came up spluttering a second later, shivering in the cold water.

“Not ready.” Mr. Miyagi nodded his head before he turned to head back into the house.

Daniel hugged his arms around his body, his teeth chattering. He swore Mr. Miyagi tried to hide his amused smile. After shooting the platform a glare, he waded back to the edge of the pond and pulled himself out. He thought for sure he was ready to try tackling that whole balance wheel thing. Pushing his hair back out of his eyes, he walked into the house.

“When will I be ready?”

Mr. Miyagi was in the kitchen, busying himself with making some tea. “Patience, Daniel-san. Will be ready in time.”

Daniel huffed, frustrated, but it felt like old times, which brought a smile to his face. “I’m going out later tonight. I’m going to take a shower and get ready.” He headed to the bathroom, making a mental note to clean up all the water he was tracking through the house.

The warm spray of the shower felt amazing after his chilly dunk in the pond. He washed up then spent way too long trying to decide what to wear. It was just drinks out with the guys from work. Why was he putting in so much effort to look good? Then he realized the answer. It was because of Nate. All those years in New York, going to fancy parties to schmooze with producers, he developed the habit of trying to make himself look as nice as the rest of them. He looked down at himself. These were the clothes Nate liked. They weren’t bad, and he thought he looked pretty good in them. But were they really him? He wasn’t even sure anymore. Shaking his head, he left his room and grabbed a towel to mop up the water.

After a quick dinner with Mr. Miyagi, Daniel heard the honk from outside. “That must be them.” He hopped to his feet. “I shouldn’t be out too late.”

“Daniel-san said something like that before.” Mr. Miyagi gave him an amused smile.

Daniel’s face burned. “It’s not like that!” He darted out of the house as Mr. Miyagi laughed. He managed to fight back the blush by the time he reached the car and hopped into the back.

“Ready for some fun, LaRusso?” Carl asked, tossing a glance back from the driver’s seat.

“Yeah, sure.” Daniel shrugged as Carl pulled away from the house.

“You live in a place like that?” Adam threw an arm around Daniel’s neck, dragging him closer. “That place is bigger than my entire apartment!”

Daniel laughed, trying to duck out from under his hold. “I’m lucky I had a friend willing to put up with me when I moved back.”

“Does he make you pay rent? He got any room for someone else?” Adam actually looked serious.

“Rent in the form of work. I did almost half the work on building that place.”

“Ah, see, now it makes sense that you’re so good at your work.” Carl nodded. “When you showed up, I swore you wouldn’t know the difference between a claw hammer and ball-peen hammer.”

It didn’t take long for them to reach the bar. Carl found a place around back to park his car, and they walked to the bar. It felt good to go out and not have to worry about impressing a bunch of people who looked down their noses at him. His co-workers didn’t expect him to be some cultured elite making long winded speeches about the arts. He could simply relax and have a good time, drinking beer, chatting, and shooting some pool. Carl nabbed them a table, and they spent the time swapping out who was playing.

“And then he fell right off the ladder!” Scott kept laughing through his latest story of working with Henry, who couldn’t make it tonight, according to him. “He must have a guardian angel looking out for him or something, because he landed in the hedges and ended up walking away with just a few scratches. The man is a walking disaster!”

Daniel laughed with the others, leaning on his cue stick. He only met Henry once since he started working for Mr. Brown.

“So,” Carl moved to stand next to him and nudged Daniel with his elbow, “how’d you end looking for a job from Mr. Brown. You’re good, but I wouldn’t think this was your first choice.”

“Well, the auto repair shops I applied to weren’t hiring.” Daniel shrugged. “I was struggling to find work when someone suggested Mr. Brown might hire me.”

“Someone?” Carl lifted an eyebrow. “Must be someone who knows Mr. Brown, at least.”

Daniel shifted his weight. “Yeah, I mean, he was friends with Bobby.” He shrugged.

“Friends with Bobby, huh?” Carl stroked his chin, considering the possibilities. Then he eyed Daniel like something clicked in his head. “It was Johnny, wasn’t it?” He snapped his fingers, a grin spreading wide. “That’s why I know the name. There was a time when he muttered about that ‘damn LaRusso’ all the time. Then he went off to study to become a physical therapist. How’s he doing?”

“Uh, good, I guess.” Daniel shrugged, almost shrinking into himself. “He seems good.” He swallowed. Would this revelation ruin things with his co-workers?

“That’s good.” Carl nodded. Then he laughed, smacking a large hand to Daniel’s back. “Lighten up, LaRusso. No one’s going to jump down your throat over that whole tournament thing. I’m guessing you made up with Johnny, though, if he told you about Mr. Brown.”

“Yeah, I guess so. He’s completely different from how he was in high school.”

Carl laughed. “I should hope so! People aren’t meant to stay the same forever.”

“Yo, Carl! You’re up!” Scott called, waving him over to the pool table.

“You playing?” Carl asked him.

Daniel shook his head, resting the cue stick against the wall. “I think I’ll go grab another beer.”

Carl nodded then walked over to the table. Daniel watched a moment as they set up the balls for Carl to break. Then he walked over to the bar, squeezing through the mass of bodies dancing between where the pool tables were in the back and the bar. He was enjoying himself, but the loud music was starting to drill a headache through his skull. He waved down a bartender but stopped himself from ordering an ice, ice cold martini. It was a drink he usually got when he was out with Nate. Instead, he ordered a bottle of Coors Banquet, realizing after he did that it was what Johnny drank.

“That doesn’t seem like your type of drink.”

Daniel blinked then turned his head. Some man had sidled up to him while he ordered. He leaned on the bar but was fully facing Daniel. A smile slipped onto his face, and his green eyes seemed stuck somewhere lower than Daniel’s eyes. Daniel glanced down, trying to figure out what caught the man’s attention. He didn’t see anything special. He picked a simple black button up shirt though he left the top button undone.

“How would you know what I like to drink?” Daniel looked up to the bartender as he slid the bottle across the bar to him.

“I’ve got this one,” the man said, passing the bartender the money for the drink.

Daniel frowned with his hand wrapped around the bottle. “I don’t need you paying for my drink.”

“I wanted to.” The man crowded closer to him, smiling as he raised his eyes, but they still didn’t meet with Daniel’s gaze.

“Thanks, but I’m going now.” Daniel turned to leave, but the man caught his arm.

“What’s the hurry? Those guys you were with aren’t interested in you.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes. “Well, I’m not interested in you.” He turned to leave again, but the man held on tightly and jerked him back.

“There’s no need to act like that.” He was way too close, his face mere inches from Daniel’s.

“I said,” Daniel growled, his other hand closing into a fist.

“Ah, I’ve been looking for you!”

Daniel snapped his head around when a woman approached him. She was beautiful with long curly hair, but he didn’t recognize her. He stood frozen as she put an arm around him, wedging her way between Daniel and the man. Then she kissed him. What was even going on right now? His brain felt like it short circuited.

“Sorry I’m late! Big emergency at work.” She flicked her gaze to the man still holding onto Daniel’s arm. He didn’t need to look to know rage was burning in his eyes. “Come on. Let’s dance.” She pulled him toward the mass of people dancing to the way too loud music, and Daniel was able to pry his arm free, leaving the beer behind.

“I’m sorry,” Daniel said, finding his voice once they were far enough away from the bar. “Do I know you?”

Her brown eyes twinkled as she smiled. “I’m Carmen. Johnny’s friend.”

“Oh!” Daniel’s eyebrows shot upward then his brow furrowed. “Oh. I - Nope. I’m confused.” He frowned.

Carmen laughed, her gaze darting toward the bar before settling back on him. “I noticed you at the bar, and you seemed uncomfortable around that guy. I thought I would come save you.”

“Thank you.” Daniel laughed but tensed a second later. “Uh.” He bit his lip, a knot of panic twisting in his gut.

“Is something the matter?” Carmen asked with an innocent look in her eyes. They were only sort of swaying to the music. “I saw a friend and thought I’d ask you to dance. I certainly didn’t think anything was going on.”

Daniel relaxed somewhat. “You don’t have to pretend.”

“So, you like guys?” There was no judgement in her voice or her eyes.

“And girls.” Daniel shrugged. “I like both. And wow. I’ve only really told one person that before, though I guess kissing another guy kind of might have given things away.” He winced, biting his lip.

“You don’t have to worry about it.” Carmen gave his hand a squeeze, offering him a gentle smile. “I won’t tell anyone. And I realize this probably was the last way you wanted someone finding out.” She frowned, guilt reflecting in her eyes. “But I didn’t like what I saw with that guy.” Her gaze darted to the bar again, and Daniel worried the man was still there.

Daniel sighed. “I really only came out to hang out with some guys from work.” He glanced toward the pool tables, just barely able to see them through everyone dancing around them. He couldn’t tell if any of them spotted him, but he hoped none of them noticed the whole incident with the man at the bar.

“Not really looking for someone, huh?”

Daniel shook his head. “I think I need to focus on myself for a bit. I think I got a bit lost in the last person I had a crush on.” He let out a laugh. “And wow, does that make me sound like a teenage girl.”

“Hm. I think I can understand though. I’ve had those times when I liked someone so much, I forgot about myself for a bit.”

Daniel nodded. “So, Johnny’s friend, huh? How did the two of you meet?”

“I was studying to become a nurse, and he was studying physical therapy.” Carmen shrugged. “And we’ve been friends ever since. We even work at the same hospital.”

“Just friends?”

Carmen slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Yes. I mean, obviously, he’s very good looking, and anyone would be lucky to have him. But we’ve never really had that spark. It’s always just been platonic between us.”

“Johnny being platonic friends with a woman?” Daniel thought on it then shook his head. “I never would have imagined that.”

“Well, it happened. Right now, he’s over at the bar.”

“What?” Daniel jerked his head around, his eyes finding the shock of Johnny’s blond hair in an instant. Their eyes met, and he swallowed. “Should I be worried?”

“You’re safe as long as you don’t grab at my ass.” Carmen laughed. “He keeps me safe from guys like that one bothering you at the bar.”

Daniel turned back to her. “You don’t think he saw that, do you?”

“I think you’re safe. Now come on. I came out tonight to dance.”

Daniel laughed, happy to oblige her.


	6. Chapter 6

Johnny gratefully accepted the bottle when the bartender passed him the Coors Banquet. He chugged down a greedy gulp as he turned around on the stool and leaned back against the bar counter. Work went fairly well today with little frustration from his patients, but he still wasn’t eager to come out tonight. Carmen insisted, though, saying she needed a night out to blow off some steam after a long, stressful day. He found it hard to say no to her.

When he found her in the crowd, Johnny saw she already found a dancing partner. He watched them, waiting to see what kind of man he was, though there was something familiar in that dark head of hair. They swayed, not really dancing to the music, which brought a furrow to Johnny’s brow. Carmen looked happy, at the very least.

Then the man twisted around, and his brown eyes locked onto Johnny almost instantly. Johnny sat up a bit straighter. LaRusso had the decency to look worried, and he should be if he dared to hurt Carmen in any way. Somehow, Johnny couldn’t see LaRusso acting like some of those other men Carmen danced with. Something told him LaRusso was too much the gentleman to start grabbing her ass.

Then they danced. Not that swaying they were doing before, but actual dancing. Johnny grumbled to himself as he drank another gulp of his beer. Of course, LaRusso could dance. They made a good pair on the dance floor, and Johnny noticed a few couples stopping to watch them.

“They look pretty good out there.”

Johnny almost choked on his beer. Coughing, he placed the bottle down on the counter. “Carl! What are you doing here?”

“You know we like to come out and play a few rounds of pool.” Carl shrugged and took up the stool next to him. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Johnny shrugged then nodded toward where the pair was dancing. “Carmen likes to come out. I’m just her backup.”

Carl laughed. “I was surprised when I realized who LaRusso was. Did you make that suggestion as a way to atone for all that karate shit?”

Johnny turned to him, taking another gulp of his beer. “I made my apologies to him. I only suggested the job because he looked like he was struggling.”

Carl eyed him for a moment then nodded. “He surprised me. He’s been a big help. At least I don’t have to worry about him having an accident like Henry.”

Johnny laughed. “Henry’s still there?” He shook his head.

“He knows his shit.” Carl chuckled. “But we still can’t send him out alone. Someone’s gotta watch his back.”

Johnny nodded. When he worked for Bobby’s father, he didn’t often have to be that someone. Mostly, because he was dealing with his own shit and wasn’t in the right frame of mind to make sure Henry didn’t cause some serious accident on site. He had days where he missed working there, missed the guys, and missed building stuff with his hands. But he enjoyed his job at the hospital too.

“So, LaRusso’s getting along with everyone?” Johnny glanced over to Carl.

“Yeah, he’s a pretty good kid. Works hard. Has a good sense of humor.” Carl shook his head with a small upward twist of his mouth.

Johnny squinted at him but couldn’t place what that look meant. He didn’t get a chance to question it when Carmen came up to them, dragging LaRusso along with her.

“Who’s your friend?” Carmen asked, stealing his beer for a quick sip.

“Carl,” he greeted with a smile. “I work with LaRusso.” He nodded his head toward LaRusso, who was a bit flushed after the dancing. “Is there a little romance brewing here?”

“No, no.” LaRusso shook his head, waving a hand in front of him. “I’ve learned not to pick up women Johnny knows.” He wore a teasing smile.

“Oh,” Carmen placed a hand on Johnny’s shoulder as she leaned against him, “Johnny decides who I can date, does he?” Her eyes sparkled with amusement, so Johnny knew she wasn’t actually angry with him.

“Only when the guy looks like a douchebag.” Johnny made a show of glancing LaRusso over. “I guess LaRusso’s alright.”

“Gee, thanks.” LaRusso rolled his eyes, though he smiled.

Johnny averted his gaze as he drank his beer.

“Care for a dance?” Carmen held out a hand to Carl.

“I don’t know.” Carl glanced at Johnny with a laugh. “Am I going to get jumped for it?”

Johnny snorted. “Just don’t act like Scott, and you’re safe.”

Carl barked a laugh as he took Carmen’s hand, allowing her to drag him away from the bar counter. Johnny knew he was a good guy. He could relax, knowing she was in safe hands. LaRusso took up the stool Carl had occupied. He leaned on the bar with his sleeves rolled up to the elbow. For a moment, he glanced around with his eyes flitting about nervously. Then he turned to Johnny with a light, easy smile.

“Carmen seems really nice.”

“She’s the best.” Johnny grinned as he watched Carmen dance with Carl. Unlike LaRusso, Carl seemed to have two left feet and kept stumbling over himself. Laughing, Carmen tried her best to help him. “After that little show, she might start demanding you take her out dancing instead of me.”

“I wouldn’t mind. She’s a good dance partner.” A wistfulness washed through his brown eyes.

“Uh oh.” Johnny frowned. “Did I just remind you of Ms. New York?”

LaRusso laughed. “No, more like Ms. Okinawa.” Then he shrugged. “I met Kumiko when I went to Okinawa with Mr. Miyagi. We stayed for the summer, and I invited Kumiko to come back with us. But,” he shrugged, “she had a dream to become a dancer and got a great opportunity to study in Tokyo. We keep in touch, though we don’t talk very often. She’s been really busy with a dance theater in Japan.”

Johnny nodded. “I never knew you went to Japan.”

“It was a great experience. I really loved it there. But,” LaRusso shook his head with a soft smile, “it wasn’t home.”

“I would have thought you’d go back to Jersey then, if you wanted to go home.”

“Maybe.” LaRusso shrugged. “If this was still ‘84. But, I guess, Reseda really grew on me.”

“I guess beating me in the tournament really improved your opinion.” Johnny finished off his beer.

“Oh, sure, being carried around like a hero really makes a place feel like home.” LaRusso rolled his eyes. “Winning didn’t change much other than you and your buddies stopped harassing me.” 

“And you stopped harassing me.” Johnny smirked when he got another roll of the eyes in reply. “You got Ali.”

“Maybe. For a while. Didn’t give me any friends though.”

Johnny squinted, frowning. “I guess that’s in part my fault.”

LaRusso shrugged. “Doesn’t matter in the end. I doubt I would have stayed friends with any of them after graduation anyway. It just felt,” he hung his head and sighed, “pretty lonely.”

“Seems like Carl and the rest seem to like you.” Johnny bumped his foot against LaRusso’s.

“They’re pretty great guys.” LaRusso twisted around on the bar stool then chuckled quietly, probably at Carl for messing up the dance again.

Johnny turned to see but paused, his eyes lingering on LaRusso’s exposed forearm. His mouth pulled downward as he took hold of LaRusso’s wrist, lifting his arm for a closer inspection. LaRusso snapped his head to him, brown eyes suddenly wide, but Johnny was more focused on the pale line stretching nearly from elbow to wrist. Then his eyes lifted, meeting LaRusso’s.

“Who the hell cut you?” Anger tinged his voice, and his mouth pressed thin.

“The people of New York don’t follow the rules of karate.” LaRusso shrugged like the injury wasn’t a big deal. “Some guy jumped me on the street. He whipped out a knife, slit my arm, so I broke his nose.”

Johnny squinted at the look in LaRusso’s eyes. “You feel guilty about that?”

“I didn’t want to break his nose,” LaRusso grumbled. “I got angry and lost control.”

“It’s okay to get mad sometimes. Especially when some asshole cuts you.” Johnny stared at the scar for a moment longer before finally releasing his hold on LaRusso’s wrist. “So, you still do karate?”

“I just started practicing again.” LaRusso rolled his lip between his teeth, staring out into the crowd of dancing bodies. “Mr. Miyagi probably wouldn’t mind if you wanted to come around and spar sometime.”

“You’re not going to crane kick me in the face again, are you?”

“As long as I don’t take your elbow to my knee again.”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Funny. How is your knee anyway?” He flicked his gaze down to LaRusso’s left knee as guilt settled in his stomach.

“Oh, fine. Though I do feel a twinge of pain every time I think of you.” LaRusso grinned, and Johnny gave him a shove. LaRusso laughed, almost tipping off the bar stool.

“Maybe I’ll take you up on that sometime,” Johnny considered.

He hadn’t done karate in a long time, outside of some brawls here and there, like kicking the ass of some dicks harassing Carmen. But against a worthy opponent? The brawls were mostly against drunken fools throwing wild punches with no finesse or skill. It was all just blind swings with as much strength as they could put into them. He won those fights, but they weren’t as satisfying as going up against someone with the skill to match himself. Now he had an itch, wanting to spar. He flicked his gaze to LaRusso, who was watching the crowd again. But there was a light in his brown eyes, like the idea of sparring excited him too. His mouth curved into a familiar half smirk. They were always drawn to fighting each other, but now there was no hostility. Instead, it was replaced by the thrill of testing his skill against an equal opponent.

“Could even be tonight.” Johnny leaned back on the bar, rolling his shoulder when LaRusso snapped his gaze toward him. “I’d have to drop Carmen off first.”

“Yeah.” LaRusso shook his head, like he was trying to throw off his surprise. “If you want.”

A moment later, Carmen returned, grabbing hold of LaRusso’s hands to pull him back out into the dancing fray. Johnny only caught something along the lines of, “Save my feet,” as Carmen laughed. He smiled as the pair got right back into dancing. Carl sent him a nod before he headed over the pool tables. It was while he watched Carl leave that he noticed some dick with bad hair shooting a glare at him. Johnny didn’t recognize him and couldn’t think why this guy was trying to murder him with his eyes. He flicked the dick off then turned his attention back to Carmen and LaRusso.

A few songs later, Carmen came up to him.

“Where’s LaRusso?” Johnny lifted an eyebrow. “You didn’t kill him with all that dancing?”

Carmen laughed, smacking his shoulder. “No, he just went to let the people he came with know that he was leaving.”

“Oh? We’re done tonight, then?” Johnny smiled, happy to get out of the bar. A few women approached him while he sat there alone, but none of them really held his interest.

Carmen nodded, returning the smile. “I’m glad I bumped into Daniel. He’s a great dancer.”

“Probably only because you were dancing with him.”

Carmen rolled her eyes as LaRusso approached them. Johnny hopped off the stool and walked them out of the bar. The air outside was cooler than inside the bustling bar. Johnny breathed it in then sighed out. Carmen hooked her arm around his, then hooked her other arm around LaRusso’s.

“This was a good night.” Carmen smiled up at the night sky, the moon high and bright above them.

“I’m glad I agreed to come out tonight.”

Johnny flicked his gaze past Carmen to LaRusso, who kept his gaze forward but had a smile on his face. It was happy and content, and Johnny wondered if he finally forgot about Ms. New York. It would be good if LaRusso did. Everything Johnny heard about her told him she wasn’t right for LaRusso. He jerked his gaze away, wondering why he cared so much about that. They reached his car and climbed in. It was a tight fit with Carmen having to pretty much sit in LaRusso’s lap. Luckily, they didn’t pass by any cops that might pull them over, even if Carmen managed to get the seatbelt around both of them.

Johnny pulled up in front of their apartment complex. Carmen and LaRusso were busy singing along to some song Carmen picked on the radio. It wasn’t a song Johnny liked, but they were enjoying themselves too much for him to voice a complaint. When she realized they had parked, Carmen opened the door. She blew them kisses before closing the door and heading for her apartment. LaRusso buckled his seatbelt again as Johnny searched for a decent song on the radio. As he pulled away, he glanced toward LaRusso with his lazy smile as he slouched in the passenger’s seat.

“What’s the dumb look for?” Johnny focused back on the road, vaguely recalling where LaRusso’s sensei’s house was.

“I guess,” LaRusso shrugged, “I’m just feeling more like myself.” He corrected Johnny when he was about to make a wrong turn.

Johnny nodded, not sure why the statement made him smile so widely.

After a couple more almost wrong turns, Johnny parked outside the small house. It hadn’t changed much since the one time he visited it. He followed LaRusso up to the door, and after they entered, he removed his shoes, leaving them next LaRusso’s by the door.

“You’re still awake, Mr. Miyagi?” LaRusso walked farther into the house with Johnny following a few steps behind.

Mr. Miyagi knelt at the low table with a cup of tea sitting in front of him. He looked much the same as always, perhaps with a few more wrinkles. Johnny wondered if the old man knew some secret to immortality. It would explain why he and LaRusso never seemed to age, or at least aged at a much slower rate.

“Hai, Daniel-san.” Mr. Miyagi nodded with a smile. Then he noticed Johnny lurking behind LaRusso. He bowed his head. “Johnny-san.”

Johnny nodded with a small, awkward wave. He thought they were on good terms, after his apologies, but that was years ago.

“Good to see you again.” Mr. Miyagi sipped his tea.

“Again?” LaRusso stared at Johnny.

“What?” Johnny shoved his hands in his pockets as he smirked. “You thought I only apologized to you? I came here years ago to apologize to your sensei for what happened. I even apologized to Ali.” He couldn’t read the thoughts passing through LaRusso’s eyes.

“So, you saved me for last?”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Well, you ran off to New York. It was a little difficult to apologize to you then. And even if I had your number to call you, you probably would have hung up on me. And I wanted to do it in person.”

LaRusso continued staring, maybe with a touch of wonder in his eyes. Johnny shifted awkwardly under his gaze. Then LaRusso turned back to his sensei. “We’ll be in the dojo.” An air of hesitancy entered his voice.

Mr. Miyagi nodded, still sipping his tea.

LaRusso waited half a minute then tugged at Johnny’s sleeve as he led the way through the house. When they stepped outside, Johnny marveled at the garden area. He only caught glimpses of it before when he visited. It really was like a little paradise, and it completely suited LaRusso. Johnny jerked out of his thoughts and turned to follow LaRusso along the deck wrapping around the house. LaRusso slid open a paper-thin door and flipped on the lights. Johnny glanced around the room. It was fairly simple, made entirely of wood. A framed picture hung on the wall with two scrolls to either side. He spotted a few weapons too. Bo staff, sai, nunchucks. Did LaRusso actually train with those?

“All right, Johnny.” LaRusso walked to the middle of the room and turned to face him. “Are you ready?”

The smirk slipped onto his face as he put himself before LaRusso. Johnny bounced a few times on the balls of his feet before falling into a familiar fighting stance. “I’m always ready.”

Grinning, LaRusso brought his hands up, widening his stance. They circled each other, their eyes roaming as they gauged the other. Then Johnny struck, taking the initiative like he was trained to do. LaRusso’s arm came up, deflecting the punch. His counter came quick, and Johnny just barely dodged it. They kept going. Punch, kick, block, counter. Johnny knocked LaRusso to the floor, but LaRusso recovered quickly, getting right back onto his feet like always. Johnny took a hit to the shoulder and a kick to the ribs. Their eyes found each other again and again after each strike. The fear Johnny remembered in those brown eyes from ‘84 was replaced with excitement, and he felt that excitement thrumming through his own veins.

LaRusso’s fist came at his head fast. Johnny leaned back, and the fist nearly clipped his nose. His foot came up, striking hard in the chest. LaRusso gasped. Then he was on the floor on his back, staring up at the ceiling with his mouth open. Johnny froze. Silence fell over the room. Then LaRusso grimaced, groaning as he wrapped an arm around his chest.

“Ow.” He rolled onto his side.

Johnny moved instantly, helping LaRusso up to his feet. “I didn’t mean to hit that hard.”

LaRusso shook his head as he waved it off. “Don’t worry about it.” He took a deep, shaky breath. “I think I’d be mad if you held back.” He grimaced again, rubbing at his chest. “Oh, I’m going to be feeling that for days.”

“Yeah, well, you got a few good hits in too.” Johnny gave him a light nudge. He smiled when LaRusso released a breathy laugh.

“Come on.” LaRusso grabbed his hand. “I think Mr. Miyagi might have something that will help.” He headed back to the house, but Johnny was more focused on their interlocking hands.


	7. Chapter 7

When he stepped out of the shower, Daniel caught sight of his chest in the mirror. Thanks to Mr. Miyagi, the bruising wasn’t as bad as it was last night, but he still felt the soreness from that kick.

Carl noticed it when Daniel was helping move some materials and had to set them down when the heavy lifting strained his chest. He pulled Daniel aside and demanded to know what was wrong. That sharp look in his eyes said he wasn’t about to take any bullshit. Daniel swallowed and showed him the ugly bruising.

“Did Johnny do that?” Carl’s mouth thinned as a dangerous gleam flashed in his eyes.

“We were sparring,” Daniel explained with his hands up, trying to placate him. “He kicked me a little hard, but it’s not a big deal.”

Carl squinted. “Are you sure he wasn’t seeking a little payback?”

Daniel shook his head. “It wasn’t anything like that. He didn’t mean to hit me that hard. But, you know,” he shrugged, “when you’re in the heat of a fight, even a spar, sometimes you just go full strength on a punch or kick. I just got unlucky.”

Carl frowned then huffed out a sigh. “I know he’s done a lot of working out some of the shit he’s been through. I just want to make sure he didn’t slip back into old habits, or mindsets.”

Daniel grinned, biting back the urge to mention he received worse injuries. “It’s fine. I’m all right.”

“Okay. But I’m putting you on something else today.”

“What?” Daniel’s mouth hung open. “But I’m fine!”

Carl stared down at him, folding his arms, and Daniel gulped. “That bruise looks pretty bad. I can’t risk you causing an accident. We already have to keep watch on Henry. And that,” he pointed at Daniel’s chest, “isn’t going to heal if you’re putting lots of strain on your body, so no more heavy lifting for you.”

Daniel sighed as he left the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He knew Carl had a point, and logically he knew it was stupid to feel like Carl was looking at him like he was weak. But the thought stuck in his head. It was dumb. Carl didn’t think he was weak. He wanted to make sure Daniel didn’t further injury himself.

Entering his room, Daniel opened the drawer under his bed and pulled out some clean clothes. He smiled as he tugged on his old Speedwagon shirt. He almost forgot he had it, having left it behind when he went to New York.

Someone knocked on the door, and Daniel frowned. Mr. Miyagi wouldn’t be home for another few hours, and he certainly wouldn’t knock on the door to his own house. Daniel wandered down the hall, trying to think who it could be. Maybe it was just the mailman dropping off a package. Did Mr. Miyagi order something? Was he planning some project? It wouldn’t be the first time he didn’t tell Daniel about a project. Another knock had him abandoning the idea that it was the mailman.

Daniel opened the door and froze.

“Danny!” Nate pulled him into a hug, clapping him on the back a few times before drawing back.

Daniel stared, not able to find his voice. What the hell was going on? How did Nate even know where to find him? Then he remembered his mother calling him not too long again. Dread settled into his gut. Did his mother tell Nate where he was?

“Wow!” Nate grabbed his bags and pushed his way into the house before Daniel could even work out anything to say, let alone actually invite him inside. “This place is amazing!”

Daniel swallowed, confusion making his head spin. “What are you doing here, Nate?”

Nate walked farther into the house, and Daniel noted with his mouth thinning that he didn’t even bother to remove his shoes. He didn’t even need to tell Johnny to do so. He dumped his bags onto the couch then turned to face Daniel. He smiled, and Daniel’s chest squeezed.

“Danny.” Nate walked over to him and took his hands. He stared into Daniel’s eyes, serious and sincere. Daniel tried to remember how to breathe evenly. “I need you.”

Daniel opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was pretty sure he forgot how to breathe.

“The play is going to completely flop without you.” Nate squeezed his hands. “You have to come back with me.”

Daniel’s mouth snapped shut. Right. Of course, that was the reason Nate was here. It was always about him. Always about his play, his dream. Why did he think it would be anything else? Daniel pulled his hands free, shaking his head.

“I’m not going back to New York.” Daniel hugged his arms around himself. “You shouldn’t even be here. You should be making sure everything’s ready for opening night.” He realized he didn’t even know when the play was supposed to open.

“Danny, come on!” Nate moved closer, and Daniel stepped back until he was against the wall. “I can’t do this without you. Everything’s a mess right now.” He placed his hands on Daniel’s shoulder, and Daniel felt trapped. “The set’s falling apart. The costumes are a disaster. The actors keep bickering. But if you’re there, I know everything will work out.”

Daniel closed his eyes, knowing he would cave if he kept staring into those pleading eyes. “I can’t,” he managed to force out, but it lacked a strong conviction behind it.

Nate moved his hands. One slid up and around to the back of Daniel’s neck. The other drifted down his arm until it settled on his hip. “Danny,” he said softly, and despite himself, Daniel opened his eyes, “you promised you’d always be there for me. I need you to be here for me.”

A lump lodged in Daniel’s throat. His heart was ready to beat out of his chest. Nate was close. Too close. Daniel’s eyes kept drifting to his lips. His skin felt too hot where Nate touched him. This was bad. He was hanging on by a thread. He didn’t want to return to New York. He knew he didn’t belong there. But Nate. Nate was there. Nate was asking him to go back with him. And Nate was stepping in even closer. Their bodies were almost pressed flush together.

“Danny,” his lips brushed over Daniel’s, “please. You’re the only that I can count on.” He sealed their mouths together, and it wasn’t like how Daniel always dreamed about. He cared about Nate, didn’t he? He thought he did, but the kiss sparked no feelings in him.

_What did she do for you?_

Johnny’s words rattled around in his head. Nothing. Daniel honestly couldn’t remember one thing that Nate did for him. He jerked his head to the side and pushed Nate back. Nate blinked at him, confusion knitting his brow.

“You,” Daniel’s voice trembled slightly, and he cursed it, “can’t just come here and do that. You can’t ask me to just drop everything and go back to New York with you. And you have a girlfriend! What about Jane?”

“We broke up.” It sounded like such an offhanded comment, like saying the weather was nice outside. But the admission meant very little in Daniel’s mind. They broke up plenty of times before, but they always got back together before too long. Nate frowned. “But you could drop everything and move out here?”

“Get your stuff.” Daniel’s mouth thinned.

“What? Danny!” Nate stepped closer.

“Get your stuff!” Daniel shouted as he snapped his arm out, pointing at the couch. “You’re not staying here.”

“You’re kicking me out?” Nate yelled. “Why are you acting like this? You come here for a couple of weeks and suddenly you’re a completely different person!”

Daniel pushed past him. After grabbing the bags from the couch, he shoved them into Nate’s arms. “Yes,” he glared into Nate’s eyes, “I’m kicking you out.” He seethed with anger. His hand curled into a fist as he fought down that whisper of a familiar voice telling him to punch Nate. And it was tempting to break his nose with the fury tickling over his skin.

“You promised.” Hurt shone in Nate’s eyes, and that only added to Daniel’s anger.

His jaw clenched so tightly it ached. Daniel grabbed his keys and wallet from where he left them on the counter lining the wall near the door. Then he shoved Nate toward the door, ignoring his grunts of protest. He was done with this. And if he didn’t remove himself from the situation, he feared doing something he would regret later. He stepped into his shoes on the way out then locked the door once they both stood outside.

“Danny, you can’t be serious. Where am I supposed to stay?”

“There are plenty of motels around.” Daniel stomped toward his car.

“A motel? Danny!” Nate followed after him. “This is crazy.”

“No, you’re crazy. You should be in New York working on your play.” Daniel climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door. “Things aren’t going as planned? It happens. You’re perfectly capable of figuring it out without my help.”

Nate dropped his bags on the ground then stepped up to the car, hands braced on the door. “I wouldn’t even have this opportunity without you. You’re the one that did all the wooing. What producer would have looked twice at my play without you?”

Daniel squeezed his hands around the steering wheel. Then he turned a glare onto Nate, though he was shocked Nate could admit to that truth. “Funny. Because Steinman said he’d only produce your play if I agreed to have no part in the production. Maybe you missed it, but everyone there hated me. Now get away from my car.”

Nate jerked back like he was burned, his eyes growing wide.

Daniel felt no satisfaction in the shock he caused. He started the car and pulled away from the house. It didn’t matter to him where Nate went as long as he was gone by the time Daniel got home. For now, he drove around without any real destination. He simply needed to get away somewhere to calm his anger.

Why did Nate have to show up now? His life was finally getting back onto some kind of track. He liked his job and working with the guys. He had karate back in his life to help ground him and bring balance. Even Johnny being back in his life wasn’t so bad.

His first days back in the Valley, Daniel had dreams about Nate flying across the country, showing up at his doorstep to surprise him, and they would have one of those cliched romcom moments where Nate pulled him into a passionate kiss. Now he was mad he ever had thoughts like that. Mad at himself for ever liking Nate as anything more than a friend. Mad that he stayed in New York for so long when he knew it was the wrong place for him. He felt so stupid about everything.

Daniel huffed as his anger started to fizzle out, exhaustion replacing it. He glanced around, trying to get his bearings after driving around randomly for quite some time. The sun was already dipping low in the sky. Maybe it was for longer than he thought. He recognized where he was with a light flush coloring his cheeks as he remembered his first visit to the apartment complex. Rolling his lower lip between his teeth, he weighed his options. Then he made the turn and drove the rest of the way to the apartment complex. He parked the car and stared up at the building.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel got out of his car. He made his way through the courtyard and over to Johnny’s door.

“Daniel?” Carmen’s voice reached him before Daniel could knock on the door. She smiled when he turned around to face her. “If you’re looking for Johnny, he’s still working.”

“Oh.” Daniel frowned in his mild disappointment.

“He should be off in an hour, maybe two. If you want,” Carmen gestured to the door behind her, “you can hang out and wait for him. But I understand if you don’t want to.”

Daniel blinked then smiled. “No, that sounds good.” He walked across the courtyard to the door opposite Johnny’s. “Actually, it might be easier talking to you.”

Carmen tilted her head as she watched him closely. “Oh no.” She frowned. “Boy trouble?”

Daniel sighed. “I’m that easy to read, huh?”

Carmen patted his arm sympathetically then opened the door to her apartment. “Sorry about the mess. I don’t always have the time to clean up with all the hours I work.”

Daniel shook his head as he glanced around the apartment. It was a bit neater than Johnny’s apartment. “Don’t worry about it. It kind of reminds of the place I lived in with my ma when we first moved here. Though I bet you keep your room a lot more organized than a seventeen-year-old boy.” He chuckled, looking at some of the decorations Carmen had sitting on the shelves.

“That certainly would be some tough competition.” Carmen’s eyes sparkled with amusement before she walked over to the kitchen.

“Do you need any help?” Daniel followed her as she pulled out ingredients from the refrigerator.

“I believe you were about to tell me about your boy troubles.” Carmen shooed him away so she could start preparing things for dinner.

Daniel sighed as he walked over to the couch and leaned on the armrest. “I guess a short summary of things. I went to college in New York.” He rolled his eyes, gesturing with his hands. “Which I completely regret now. I met Nate there, and we became fast friends. It wasn’t long before I realized I wanted to be more than friends. But he had a girlfriend. Who he’s had on and off for the whole time I was there.”

“And you were so head over heels for this Nate guy that you thought just being friends would be enough,” Carmen put in, glancing over her shoulder.

Daniel nodded, dropping his gaze. “Anyway, fast forward to a little while ago, and Nate finally got his big break. A producer picked up his play. Off Broadway, but it was a start. We celebrated, and I don’t even know what possessed me in that moment.”

Carmen gasped. “You kissed him!”

Daniel’s face went red as he picked at his nails. “Yeah, I knew it was stupid the second I did it. But it was too late to take it back. I said it was just the alcohol, but as time passed, it became painfully clear that I couldn’t stay there any longer. So,” he shrugged, “I came back here.”

“I’m sorry, Daniel.” Carmen walked over and drew him into a hug.

Daniel hesitated at first then wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. It was warm and comforting, and Daniel felt some tension melting out of his shoulders.

“So,” Carmen pulled back, “what happened today?”

“Nate showed up.” Daniel bit the corner of his lip. “He wanted me to go back to New York with him.”

“Hm,” Carmen frowned, “sounds too much like some kind of Hollywood movie.”

Daniel almost laughed in agreement. “He - He kissed me.”

Carmen nodded slowly, the frown never leaving her face. “But you don’t feel that way anymore.”

Daniel did laugh this time. “Are you a mind reader?”

Carmen smiled, a little sadly, as she placed a hand to his cheek. “I don’t need to be when your eyes are saying everything.”

“Yeah,” Daniel sighed, “my ma always said my eyes were too expressive.” His mouth twitched, pulling into an almost smile. He lowered his gaze. “He probably only kissed me because he thought it would convince me to go back with him.” He pressed his fingers into his eyes, almost wanting to scream out in frustration. “How messed up is that? He just wanted to use my feelings to his advantage. It’s always about him. Everything! Never once did he ever ask what I wanted. What my dreams were. I was so wrapped up in him that I never stopped and questioned _what_ my dreams were.” He dropped his hands and lifted his gaze to Carmen. “I told him to take his stuff and leave.”

Carmen squeezed him in another tight hug. “Good for you! He sounds like an egotistical dick.”

Daniel laughed out, not sure why he felt like crying. “He really is.” He buried his head against her shoulder as Carmen rubbed his back. “Sorry about ranting about all of this to you.”

Carmen gave him a light smack on the shoulder. “Don’t apologize. I’m happy to lend an ear and a shoulder.” She turned her head and kissed his temple. “Sorry you had to go through all of that.”

Daniel hummed in agreement, the emotional exhaustion hitting him. When Carmen pulled out of the hug, Daniel dropped down onto the couch. For a while, he watched her work on cooking dinner. Eventually, he lay down, curling up on the couch as his eyes slipped shut.


	8. Chapter 8

“It hurts too much!”

Johnny sighed as he eased up on stretching the boy’s leg. He began wondering if Noah complained out of habit or because it did actually hurt at this point. “I know it hurts. But you want to walk again without pain, right?” he asked gently. He could be hard on his patients, pushing them because he knew they could do it, but he also knew when to change his tactic. Some patients didn’t respond well to the tough love approach.

Noah frowned, his gaze lingering on his knee, scarred up from surgeries after the accident. “I just wish it didn’t hurt so much.” He pouted. “I can barely put weight on it.”

“I remember a kid I knew back when I was a teen. He hurt his knee pretty badly. But he was stubborn and didn’t let the pain stop him.” Johnny laughed, to himself, remembering how LaRusso limped back onto the mat, refusing to let the injury defeat him. “He fought through the pain, and I know you’re capable of doing it too.”

Noah’s face scrunched up. “How do you know? Maybe I’m not that stubborn. Or maybe I’m just weak.”

“I’m a pretty good judge of people. I know.” Johnny stood then bent over, grabbing hold of the teen’s hands. “Come on. Up!” He helped his patient to his feet, and Noah’s weight favored his good leg. “Now I want you to slowly put some weight on your other foot.”

Noah frowned. “It’s going to hurt.”

“You’re a strong kid. You can take it. And I’m here to catch you if you fall.”

Noah didn’t look very encouraged, but Johnny watched closely as the weight shifted. A little at a time, and Noah winced at the initial weight. He bit his lip as his weight gradually evened out. Then he gasped, his knee giving a twinge, and Johnny caught him, holding him up straight. Noah trembled in his arms, standing on one foot.

“Hey, hey. You’re okay. I’ve got you.” Johnny rubbed his back soothingly. “That was a really good first try.”

Noah’s hands tightened around his shirt, and Johnny worried he made the kid take ten steps back in his progress. “It - It didn’t hurt as much as I thought.”

Johnny smiled, relief flooding him. “Okay, kid. We’re gonna keep working on it. You’ll be walking again before you know it. And your mom should be here soon to pick you up.”

Noah nodded, and Johnny helped him with his crutches. “So, what happened to that kid? From your story?”

“Hm.” Johnny glanced at Noah as they walked to the exit. “He kicked me right in the face and won the tournament.”

“No way!” Noah gasped at him, and Johnny laughed. “Come on! You’re pulling my leg.”

Johnny shook his head, grinning. “I promise it’s one hundred percent true. I probably deserved it.” He leaned closer to Noah, holding a finger to his mouth. “But don’t tell anyone I said that.”

Noah grinned, happy to be in on a secret. They met up with Noah’s mother, and Johnny waved as the pair left. When they were out of sight, he sighed, shoulders slumping. It was a long day, and he was happy to be able to finally go home for the day. He puttered around in his office for a bit, making sure all his files were up-to-date and in order.

By the time he got home, Johnny was cracking his jaw with wide yawns. Maybe he should call it an early night. He parked in his usual spot and got out of the car. Raking a hand through his hair, he walked toward his apartment.

“Ah, Johnny!” Carmen called out before Johnny could unlock the door. “I have dinner ready.”

“You are a lifesaver. You know that?” Johnny grinned as he followed her into her apartment. He didn’t even want to think about trying to make food from whatever was currently in his refrigerator, which probably wasn’t very much right now. “What would I-” Johnny frowned when Carmen gestured for him to be quiet. He lifted an eyebrow. What was going here?

“He’s still sleeping,” Carmen whispered, pointing toward her couch.

Johnny eased the door shut then looked over. He blinked in surprise when he spotted LaRusso. His gaze snapped back to Carme, his eyes wide and questioning. What was LaRusso doing here? He shook himself. Why shouldn’t LaRusso be here? It wasn’t like LaRusso didn’t know where Carmen lived. He was in the car when Johnny dropped her off at home last night before they went to spar. And LaRusso and Carmen seemed to have enjoyed themselves while dancing at the bar. He could visit Carmen if he wanted. Johnny had no say in that. Maybe he could admit he was a little disappointed LaRusso wasn’t here to visit him.

“He needed someone to talk to.” Carmen squeezed his arm before she walked toward the kitchen.

Johnny lingered by the door, staring at the sleeping LaRusso. Then he joined Carmen. “Talk? Talk about what?” He squinted at her. “Or is this some super secret talk that only you’re allowed to know?”

“Hm.” Carmen considered as she served up some kind of chicken in a sauce, that Johnny wasn’t going to try to guess the name of, onto plates. “That you would probably have to ask Daniel himself. It would be rude if I told you what we talked about.”

Johnny frowned. “I guess I shouldn’t pester you about it then.”

“You can try, but I won’t tell you anything.” Carmen passed him a plate then picked up the other two. They carried them over to the table.

After he set his plate down, Johnny walked over to the couch and leaned on the back of it. Curled up there, LaRusso almost looked like he was still a teenager, except his stupid fluffy hair was longer and floppier now. It was tempting to just leave him there when he looked so peaceful in his sleep. Johnny reached down and gave his shoulder a shake. LaRusso jolted away, nearly falling off the couch. Johnny bit his tongue to hold in a laugh.

LaRusso groaned as he leaned forward, elbows on knees. He rubbed at his eyes. “You scared me half to death!”

“Thought you might want dinner,” Johnny offered, and LaRusso snapped his head around, eyes widening at him. The smirk slipped right into place on Johnny’s face.

LaRusso swallowed, his eyes never leaving him. “Uh, h-hi, Johnny.”

“Come on.” Johnny nudged his shoulder. “Carmen will start nagging if you take too long.”

“Don’t tell him lies, Johnny!” Carmen called from the kitchen where she was getting drinks for them.

“Not far from the truth,” Johnny teased. “You’re always harping on me about my eating habits.”

“That’s because you always work straight through lunch.”

“Working through lunch?” LaRusso clicked his tongue as he stood. “That’s a bad habit there, Johnny.”

“Yeah, well, you-” Johnny blinked when he turned back to LaRusso. “Speedwagon. You like Speedwagon?”

LaRusso glanced down at his shirt. “Uh, of course I do.” He frowned as he lifted his gaze. “You have a problem with that?”

Johnny bit the inside of his cheek when LaRusso’s Jersey accent came out a bit thicker as fire danced in his brown eyes. Maybe LaRusso thought his taste in music was being challenged. Johnny shook his head.

“I’m just surprised we like the same band.”

LaRusso rolled his eyes, the heat burning away. “I’m sure there’s more. Not like we spent much time talking about what we liked and disliked in high school.” They both walked over to the table and joined Carmen. “This looks really good.”

“Carmen’s an amazing cook.”

Carmen blushed lightly. “Are you feeling better, Daniel?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” LaRusso shifted in his seat, poking at his dinner. “Sorry I kind of just passed out there afterward.”

Carmen shook her head. “You looked like you needed the rest.”

“So, what happened?” Johnny ate his dinner, flicking his gaze between Carmen and LaRusso. He didn’t like being in the dark. But he worried if he tried pushing too hard for information, LaRusso would clam up.

LaRusso shrugged, staring down at his dinner, and Johnny gave up the idea of getting his answer. “Just dealing with love troubles,” LaRusso mumbled.

“Ms. New York again?” Johnny frowned, bristling for reasons he couldn’t name. He already didn’t like this woman. Why did LaRusso keep thinking about her? She clearly didn’t put as much thought into him. Johnny caught Carmen’s eye, and his brow furrowed at the frown she gave him. Okay. He was definitely missing some key information with all of this.

“Yeah.” LaRusso rolled his shoulder. “But it’s fine. Carmen and I talked it over.”

“Oh.” And there was an odd sense of disappointment. Carmen was probably better suited for talks about love anyway.

“I saw him going up to your door,” Carmen explained, “but since you weren’t going to be home for a while, I invited him over.”

Johnny blinked, sliding his gaze back to LaRusso. So, he had wanted to talk about it with him? But the way LaRusso kept his head down made Johnny think that was no longer the case. That was more disappointing.

“How’s your chest?” Johnny grabbed his glass of water, which Carmen was trying to get him to drink more of instead living off his Banquets.

“What happened to his chest?” Carmen asked in alarm.

“It’s okay,” LaRusso said quickly. “We were just sparring. I took a pretty hard hit, but I’m fine. Carl wants me to stay off anything that involves lots of heavy lifting. But it’s fine.”

“Let me take a look at it.” Carmen stood and came around the table to LaRusso’s seat.

“No, really. It’s fine,” LaRusso insisted, but Carmen wouldn’t hear it. Johnny almost felt guilty bringing up the injury. LaRusso sighed when Carmen gave him her stern nurse glare. He tugged his shirt up, revealing the still very present bruising from the kick. Johnny grimaced, regretting again that he kicked as hard as he did.

Carmen hissed at the sight of it. “You should have brought him to me.” She shot a glare at Johnny.

“What? You’re blaming me? He’s the one that insisted on using some magic stuff from his sensei!” Johnny protested.

“It’s not magic.” LaRusso rolled his eyes then winced when Carmen pressed gingerly at the bruise. Yeah, it looked like it was still tender. “It was medicine. And I’ve used it before on injuries.”

“Well, nothing’s broken.” Carmen kept frowning. “I guess it’s not as bad as it looks. But if it doesn’t clear up in a few days, I want to look at it again.”

“You’re worrying too much.” LaRusso let his shirt fall again. “A little bruise like this is nothing.”

“Let the nurse be the judge of that.” Carmen folded her arms with that stern stare again.

“Okay, okay. I’ll come to you if it doesn’t heal.”

“He might look fragile,” Johnny said, ignoring the protest out of LaRusso, “but he’s pretty tough.” He met LaRusso’s gaze. Was that a blush spreading onto LaRusso’s face? “Anyway, I wasn’t trying to make a big deal out of it. I just wanted to make sure you were okay after that spar.”

“I’m good.” LaRusso shrugged. “It’s sore here and there, but it’s not too bad.”

“Were there any other injuries I should know about?” Carmen took her seat again.

“No,” Johnny and LaRusso answered together, and Carmen eyed them suspiciously. She turned her gaze from them, and Johnny shared a glance with LaRusso. When LaRusso returned his grin, Johnny felt a little thrill go through him, like they were a couple of kids getting away with something.

“I might have to ask you for this recipe,” LaRusso said, eating another bite.

“Family secret. Sorry.” Carmen grinned with a playful wink.

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Of course, you cook.”

“Can’t survive on take out all the time.” LaRusso shrugged. “Plus, with the rent in New York, I pretty much had to make sure every buck stretched as far as it could go.”

“So, what was it like in New York?” Carmen asked.

“Crazy.” LaRusso laughed, and Johnny caught himself staring. “Too much rushing around. Definitely prefer living here.”

“Did you ever get to see plays on Broadway?”

“Some.” LaRusso shrugged. “Mostly it was work or parties.”

Johnny cocked an eyebrow upward. “I didn’t take you for the partying type.”

“Oh, yeah.” LaRusso grinned, all cocky, maybe a little teasing. “Parties every night. I was the hit of the town.” It was quick, a blink and miss it kind of thing, but Johnny was certain he saw sadness flicker through those brown eyes.

“If those parties involved dancing, I don’t doubt it,” Carmen said. “We are definitely going out dancing again.”

LaRusso chuckled. “I’d definitely be up for that.”

Johnny was stuffed by the time they finished dinner. Carmen tried to feed both of them another couple helpings, and they eventually left with a Tupperware each of leftovers. LaRusso laughed next to him after they said their goodnights to Carmen and left her apartment. He walked toward his car, and Johnny followed him.

“I needed this tonight,” LaRusso said, a smile lingering on his face.

“Rough day?”

LaRusso fidgeted, his gaze sweeping around the courtyard before settling on Johnny. “Guess who showed up at my door today?”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out the answer to that. Johnny groaned. “Really? Let me guess. Ms. New York desperately needs your help because you’re the only one who can help her?”

LaRusso’s mouth pressed tight, and he turned slightly, bobbing his head. “Yup.” He looked ready to hit something. “You’re right. It’s always about him. I can’t believe I was so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid.” Johnny placed his hand on LaRusso’s shoulder before the words really hit him.

Did LaRusso - No, maybe he misheard. But he clearly heard ‘him.’ When he thought back to their previous conversations, he realized LaRusso never actually referred to the person he liked as female. How did he miss that? Because it was easier to ignore it. LaRusso maybe just didn’t want to tell people yet. Johnny couldn’t blame him for not wanting to share that detail about himself, especially with the guy who used to bully him.

“Everyone gets a bit stupid when it comes to love.” Johnny shrugged. “Remember how I was with Ali?”

“Hm.” LaRusso tilted his head with a thoughtful look. “Nope. Can’t say that I do. Maybe you should remind me.” He grinned, and Johnny gave him a shove. “I get what you mean. I just wish I hadn’t been _that_ stupid.”

“Please tell me you at least told him to shove it up his ass.”

LaRusso opened his mouth, but the smile slowly fell from his face. The color drained out of him as the horror set in. “Oh god.” He covered his mouth with a hand as he took a step back. “I - Did I - Shit!” He hid his face with his hand, shaking his head.

“Hey.” Johnny gently took hold of LaRusso’s wrist. “I don’t care who you like.” When Johnny tugged at his wrist, LaRusso allowed him to pull his hand from his face, but he kept his gaze down. “It doesn’t bother me. I’ve had boyfriends in the past.”

That got LaRusso to jerk his head up, his brown eyes wide. “You-”

“Thought I was straight as an arrow, didn’t you?” Johnny laughed at the utter shock on LaRusso’s face.

“Maybe.” LaRusso swallowed then dropped his gaze again. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have just assumed.”

Johnny shook his head. “I’m guilty of assuming too. And,” he shrugged, “for what it’s worth, I think you deserve way better than that dick from New York. If he can’t see that you’re amazing, then he’s fucking blind.”

LaRusso looked up again with wonder in his eyes as a flush colored his cheeks. “Thanks, Johnny.”

“And,” Johnny nudged his elbow into LaRusso’s ribs, “I think James is into guys. If I remember right, he’s not that bad looking.”

LaRusso laughed. “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him check my ass out once or twice.”

“See?” Johnny grinned. “Definitely way better options out there for you.”

LaRusso nodded, biting his lip. His eyes stayed on Johnny, who shifted his weight as his stomach attempted to do flips. His gaze flicked to LaRusso’s lips. Maybe he could just - Johnny swallowed. Was there less space between them? They were definitely standing closer. And what was that look in LaRusso’s eyes? Maybe he was reading into things too much. His heart was beating too fast. He licked his lips, and - Yup, LaRusso’s definitely tracked that movement with his eyes. That made his decision.

Johnny leaned in, and LaRusso met him. His lips were soft and warm. Johnny snaked an arm around his waist and tugged him closer. LaRusso melted against him, sliding his hand around to the back of Johnny’s neck. He didn’t want it to end. It was better than he imagined. Had he imagined it? Maybe in some subconscious part of his mind he refused to address. But now that he was kissing him, Johnny didn’t want to let LaRusso go.

But they had to break apart, both panting. They held each other’s gazes, and a shy little smile crept over LaRusso’s face.

“Wow,” LaRusso breathed out. “That was-”

Johnny captured his mouth again. Then he dipped his head and kissed down along LaRusso’s neck, earning soft little gasps.

“J-Johnny?”

“Hm?” Johnny hummed against his skin.

“I like this, but, um, is it okay - Can we go slow?”

Johnny pulled back to stare at him. With a nod, he pressed his forehead against LaRusso’s. “Whatever you want.” LaRusso’s smile made Johnny’s heart flutter. Shit. How had he not noticed how badly he liked him?

“Thanks.” Then LaRusso kissed him again. “Goodnight, Johnny.”

Johnny grinned, tempted not to let him go. Not yet. But LaRusso wanted to go slow, and Johnny understood why. “Night, LaRusso.” He dropped his arm away from his waist, and LaRusso stumbled back a step, biting his lip. Johnny almost told him to stay, but instead, he waved as LaRusso walked backwards a few steps. LaRusso laughed, maybe it was more a giddy giggle, then turned and headed for his car. Johnny watched him, smiling the whole time. Then he shook his head and walked to his apartment. Inside his apartment, he leaned back against his door, touching his fingers to his lips. He could still feel LaRusso’s mouth against his own.


	9. Chapter 9

Daniel was light and happy the next morning when he woke up. A dopey smile graced his face as he thought back to how he left Johnny last night. It was tempting to stay there with him, Johnny’s arms wound around his waist and his mouth pressed against his own. Daniel flushed darkly, covering his face with his hands. How did this happen? He almost believed it was all a dream. But even now, he could still recall the feel of Johnny’s lips. His hand fell away from his face, and his fingers ghosted down his neck where Johnny left a trail of kisses. He bit his lip. Maybe he was acting a little silly. It wasn’t like he was never kissed before.

Daniel climbed out of bed. As nice as it would be to lay around all day dreaming about that kiss, he still had to get to work. He went to the bathroom and washed up before he got changed for work. Mr. Miyagi was already in the kitchen, fixing breakfast for the both of them.

“Daniel-san have a good night?”

Daniel froze in the middle of pouring a glass of orange juice. He jerked his head around, his eyes growing wide as he stared at his sensei. Mr. Miyagi continued cooking, not meeting Daniel’s gaze, but he smiled with amusement in his eyes. Daniel swallowed as he set the carton of orange juice down on the counter.

“Um,” Daniel mumbled, trying to think of a response.

“Daniel-san not need be embarrassed.” Mr. Miyagi flicked his gaze toward him. “Miyagi happy if Daniel-san happy.”

Daniel relaxed, the tension he didn’t realize was there melting out of his shoulders. “Even if I’m happy with Johnny?”

Mr. Miyagi considered his response for so long Daniel thought breakfast might be a bad idea with all the churning his stomach was doing. Then Mr. Miyagi nodded. “Johnny-san is a good man. If Johnny-san makes Daniel-san happy, Miyagi won’t stand in way.”

Daniel smiled. “He does. He makes me really happy.” Even if it was only last night that he became aware of those feelings, he knew Johnny really cared about him. He saw Daniel struggling to look for work and suggested a place where he might get hired. He was there to listen to him and offer advice when he was dealing with his one-sided feelings. Johnny showed more interest and care toward him in a matter of weeks than Nate had in years. Daniel ducked his head, a blush warming his cheeks.

After eating breakfast with Mr. Miyagi, Daniel left for work, promising he would be back for their training session that night. When he returned last night, he apologized profusely for disappearing with no notice. He didn’t tell Mr. Miyagi about the visit from Nate. He wanted to put that whole thing out of his mind and forget all about him. His life felt like it was finally going in the right direction, and it certainly didn’t include Nate.

When Daniel got to work, Carl demanded to check his injury. Daniel sighed but lifted his shirt so Carl could see the damage. It was better than yesterday, fading quite a bit, but not enough to satisfy Carl. He was kept to a lighter workload, and Daniel found the treatment frustrating. He didn’t complain. Carl cared enough about his wellbeing to make sure he didn’t further injury himself by being stubborn, and Daniel appreciated that. Too many of his jobs in New York didn’t care about their employees, even when he nearly got run over by a car, a handful of times, just to deliver some stupid package.

“You seem like you’re in a good mood,” Scott said when he plopped down beside Daniel while they took their lunch break. Smirking, he nudged his elbow into Daniel’s ribs. “Finally get lucky last night?”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “No.” He took a bite out of his sandwich, but he could see in Scott’s eyes that he wasn’t convinced.

“Hey, Adam! Our boy got lucky!” Scott shouted, grinning widely as Daniel choked, his face turning red.

“Oh?” Adam grabbed his food and carried it over to where they sat. “I want to hear who this lucky lady is.” He sat down on Daniel’s other side.

Daniel coughed a few times after he finally managed to swallow. “There’s no lucky lady.”

“A lucky lad then?” James clapped his hands down on Daniel’s shoulders, bending over him so his head was upside down in front of Daniel. “Because I will definitely be jealous of him for stealing such a cutie.”

Daniel shrank into himself, his blush reaching to ears. Was he really that obvious? Maybe he had smiled a little too much while he worked.

“Oh! That’s it!” Scott poked at his cheek. “You got it with some guy!”

“Are you harassing the newbie?” Carl stood in front of their group with his arms crossed and a severe look on his face.

“No,” Adam couldn’t hold back his grin, “we’re just getting to know him.” He threw an arm around Daniel’s shoulders. “You know, like asking about his sex life.”

“There was no sex.” Daniel wished he could just sink into the ground to avoid any more of this conversation.

“He’s not denying that there was a guy though,” James pointed out thoughtfully. “So, tell us about this guy.”

“Maybe if you have all this time to gossip, I should cut your lunch short,” Carl suggested, and the other three immediately sprung away, making up excuses as they went. Carl watched them leave then turned his attention back onto Daniel. “They only tease you because they like you. And seriously, whoever you like, they’re not going to judge you for it. I mean, James gets along with everyone here, so it’s really not a big deal if you like guys.”

Daniel shifted. “It’s just,” he risked a glance up to Carl, “new. Being comfortable enough to actually tell people. I’ve been hiding it for so long.”

Carl nodded. “I know it’s hard. And you should tell people in your own time and way. I just want you to know that we accept you no matter what.” He smiled and patted Daniel on the shoulder. “You’re a part of our big family now.”

Daniel smiled back, maybe a bit on the shy side. “Thanks.” He dropped his gaze to the sandwich in his hands then lifted it back to Carl. “I do like guys, but I still like girls. Right now, though, I like a guy.”

Carl bobbed his head then leaned in close. “Is it Johnny?”

Daniel gasped, eyes growing wide. “What? How did-”

Carl laughed and shook his head. “It seemed like there might have been something there between the two of you at the bar.”

Daniel ducked his head, flushing darkly. “I didn’t even - I was probably just being blind and stupid.”

Carl squeezed his shoulder. “You don’t have to explain anything. I’m happy for you. And,” he winked, “I won’t tell the other guys. I’ll leave that up to you.”

Daniel grinned. “Maybe I’ll keep them guessing.”

The rest of the day was fairly normal, though the other guys did occasionally pass by him and try to pester more information out of him. Daniel continued to be secretive, just to frustrate them. James made more than one passing comment about missing his chance and then rather obviously stared at Daniel’s ass while he worked. Daniel laughed, but the attention made him blush.

When he arrived at home, Daniel’s happy mood fizzled out. He parked his car next to Mr. Miyagi’s truck and climbed out. He walked toward the front door, refusing to look, but then Nate positioned himself right in front of him. His eyes remained trained on the door.

“Your weird old roommate wouldn’t me in.”

“Mr. Miyagi is not weird,” Daniel snapped, jaw clenching tightly.

“Okay.” Nate held up his hands, but it did little to quell the burning anger in Daniel’s chest. “Sorry. Bad choice of words.” He sighed and reached for his hands, but Daniel jerked them away. “Danny.”

“Don’t touch me.” Daniel finally looked at him, scowling darkly. “I told you to leave.”

“Come on, Danny. You can’t - This isn’t fair. You won’t even let me talk now?”

Closing his eyes, Daniel shook his head as he focused on his breathing rather than his anger. “Why should I? Are you just going to just tell me I should go back to New York with you?”

“Whatever I said wrong, I apologize. I don’t want this rift between us. We were always so close.”

“And I’m sorry I ruined that, but it was for the best.” Daniel pushed past him. “I don’t want to see you again.”

“Danny!” Nate pleaded, grabbing at his arm.

Daniel responded by instinct. He wrenched his arm free as he twisted around. His palm struck Nate in the chest, and Nate stumbled back with a grunt.

“What the hell?” Nate shouted with a furious glare as he rubbed at his chest.

Daniel opened his mouth to apologize, but he wasn’t sorry. “Don’t touch me.”

“What happened to you?” Frowning, Nate shook his head. “This place changed you. You were never violent like this.”

The comment infuriated him. “This is who I’ve always been!” Daniel shouted in his face. “That person you knew in New York? That wasn’t the real me! I was just trying to fit into a world where I didn’t really belong.”

“You can’t really mean that.” Nate frowned, a crease forming across his brow. “We lived with each other for six years. I _know_ you.”

“You know a false version of me.” Daniel flicked his gaze away when he heard another car approaching. His heart jumped into his throat when he saw Johnny’s car. Why now? Why was this happening? He just wanted Nate to go away and leave him alone.

“Danny-”

Daniel snapped his glare onto Nate. “And I hate when you call me that! No one calls me that.”

Nate flinched. A car door opened. “You never told me that.”

“I told you for a whole year that I prefer to be called Daniel. But you insisted on sticking with Danny.” Daniel was shouting, and his face was red. Anger thrummed through him. Johnny walked toward them. And Daniel wished he could just go back to earlier when he was actually happy.

“What’s going on here?” Johnny placed himself next to Daniel, standing close to his side. His presence tempered some of the rage in him. It helped more when he felt Johnny’s hand lightly touching the small of his back.

“This is Nate,” Daniel explained, turning his gaze to Johnny as he folded his arms. “From New York.”

“Oh.” Johnny nodded and turned a glare of displeasure onto him. “Mr. New York.”

Nate frowned, eying Johnny with trepidation. “And who are you?”

Johnny smirked, cruel and dangerous. “I’m the guy who’s going to kick your ass if you dare hurt my boyfriend.”

Daniel’s chest swelled as he stared at Johnny. They hadn’t actually said they were boyfriends, but the fact that Johnny could say it so easily washed away all the anger in him. He smiled brightly then laughed as he slapped the back of his hand lightly against Johnny’s side. “You know I can handle myself in a fight.”

Johnny chuckled, low and warm. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to protect you.”

“I kissed him!” Nate shouted out with his fists clenched at his sides. “Yesterday, I kissed him.” He glared at Johnny like he just threw down a challenge.

Johnny stepped forward, and Daniel wasn’t sure if he should stop him or not. Once in front of Nate, Johnny drew himself up to his full height, folding his arms. Next to Johnny, Nate almost seemed small. “Look. You’re just making yourself look bad at this point. Why are you even here?”

“I need Danny-” Nate gulped when he caught Daniel’s glare over Johnny’s shoulder.

“No, see, that’s not an answer I’m going to listen to.” Johnny jabbed a finger into Nate’s chest. “LaRusso isn’t doing any more shit for you. He already wasted too much of his life doing everything for you. He’s finally living his life for himself, and he’s happy. You don’t get to come here and ruin that for him. He deserves so much more than the shitty ass treatment you’ve given him.”

“I never treated him-”

“Yeah, actually, you did. And he doesn’t want you here.”

“I really don’t,” Daniel agreed.

“So, you’re just going to let me fail?” Nate demanded, huffing like everything was Daniel’s fault.

“I already told you,” Daniel rolled his eyes, “your producer agreed to your play as long as I wasn’t involved. Even if I wanted to help, I couldn’t. But I don’t want to help. I’m tired of always helping you when you never thought to help me in return. I said I would always be there for you, but that’s a promise I can’t keep. I can’t be the one doing all the giving.”

“That’s not at all how our relationship was!” Nate protested with his eyes opened wide, scandalized by Daniel’s words.

“I think it’s best if you leave,” Johnny suggested with a threat in his voice.

Nate’s mouth thinned as he turned his gaze to Daniel. “You wouldn’t have had any friends if it weren’t for me.”

Daniel shrugged. “I would have been fine with that.”

Nate growled then turned on his heel, stomping away from the house. Daniel relaxed the farther Nate got from them. Johnny returned to him, placing his hands on Daniel’s arms. His brow wrinkled with concern.

“Are you okay?”

Daniel nodded. “Just hope that’s the last I’ll see of him.”

“He’s a real piece of work.”

Daniel frowned, dropping his gaze. “I guess I let myself be blind to it. I thought I really felt something for him, but I was deluding myself.” He stepped closer and leaned into Johnny’s body, circling his arms around him. “Whatever that was, it doesn’t compare to what I feel for you.”

Johnny hugged him tightly. “So, he kissed you yesterday?”

Daniel frowned. “Yeah, _he_ kissed me. I stopped it after I realized what a dick he was. And I hadn’t acknowledged my feelings for you yet.”

“I was just teasing.” Johnny kissed him on the temple. “But if he tries that shit again-”

“I’ll break his fingers. You don’t have to worry.”

Johnny laughed, and Daniel smiled at the feel of the vibrations in his chest against him. He nuzzled his head into the crook of Johnny’s neck, happy to just stand there in his arms.


	10. Chapter 10

“I promised Mr. Miyagi I wouldn’t skip another training session,” LaRusso explained as they entered the house. “If you want, you can join us. Or we can do a bit of sparring afterward.”

“Ah, Daniel-san, Johnny-san.” Mr. Miyagi greeted them, bowing to each of them.

LaRusso smiled as he bowed in return. Johnny bowed too. Then they both removed their shoes and set them aside in the entryway. Johnny worried it might be awkward being at the house again. Mr. Miyagi, thankfully, wasn’t mad at him when they entered the house after their spar and saw the bruise developing on LaRusso’s chest where Johnny kicked him. Johnny offered apologies more than once, but Mr. Miyagi waved it off, knowing it wasn’t done on purpose. But it was that insightfulness that made Johnny worry. Mr. Miyagi had a piercing look in his eyes when he stared at him, and Johnny thought for sure he already knew about the development in Johnny and LaRusso’s relationship. He swallowed nervously, shifting under the gaze.

But Mr. Miyagi smiled then focused his attention onto LaRusso. “Daniel-san, today we start wheel technique.” With that cryptic statement, he turned and left them, heading through the sliding doors leading out into the garden.

Johnny glanced to LaRusso, whose eyes were wide as his mouth worked open and close. “So, what’s this wheel technique thing?” His brow creased, and he gave LaRusso a light nudge when he didn’t immediately respond.

“I don’t actually know.” LaRusso turned to him, still stunned. “He kept saying I wasn’t ready for it.”

“What’s different now?”

LaRusso flicked his gaze to the sliding door then back to Johnny. “I don’t-” He frowned, thinking. “He did mention something about needing a partner.”

“What kind of technique needs a partner?” Johnny squinted, wondering if this was some weird trick planned out by sensei and student. But he couldn’t deny he was eager to do some training. After leaving Cobra Kai, he planned on staying away from karate. The memory of Kreese and what he did felt like it tainted everything good about karate. But then LaRusso came back into his life, and they sparred, and Johnny realized his idea of karate being tainted was so very wrong. He still loved karate. He still loved facing off against an equal opponent. He loved the discipline that came with the training.

The mentality that came from years of training in Cobra Kai stayed deep inside him, but he knew better now. There was no honor in winning if he fought dirty. Viewing everyone as an enemy was a ridiculous mindset. Showing mercy wasn’t weakness. And sometimes, it was better to talk out an issue than resort to violence to solve every problem. It took him years and lots of therapy to break free from that brainwashing mantra Kreese screamed at them.

LaRusso shrugged then took his hand. “I guess we’ll find out.” He smiled as he pulled Johnny along toward the garden.

Johnny smiled back, glad he went through the long, hard process to reach this point in his life.

Mr. Miyagi waited for them toward the back of the garden near the pond. Johnny followed LaRusso across the bridge and dropped down onto the grass.

“So, I finally get to try out the balance wheel?” LaRusso grinned with excitement in his eyes. Johnny was still confused about what any of this was.

Mr. Miyagi shook his head, and LaRusso deflated, shoulders slumping. “Daniel-san must remember. First learn stand. Then learn fly.”

“Yeah, I know.” LaRusso sighed.

“What’s going on?” Johnny frowned, folding his arms as he glanced over to LaRusso.

“We have to learn the basics of the technique before we move on the advanced stuff.”

“Well, that makes sense.” When LaRusso huffed, Johnny smirked. “You’re just impatient.” But he could understand the feeling. Sometimes he hated having to suffer through learning the basics. He wanted to get to the cool, badass moves, but he knew the basics were important.

Mr. Miyagi called back their attention then started teaching them the movements of the technique. Johnny fumbled through most of it. This kata stuff wasn’t anything Kreese taught them. He was almost frustrated to see how easily LaRusso seemed to move through it, but he reminded himself Mr. Miyagi taught this kind of stuff to LaRusso for years. It was practically second nature to LaRusso, and honestly, a few of Johnny’s slip ups happened because he got distracted watching LaRusso instead of concentrating on his own movements. They ran through it a number of times side by side, and Johnny got better at each time. Once they had it mostly down, Mr. Miyagi adjusted their placement, having them stand back to back a few feet apart.

“We’re supposed to do this without seeing each other?” Johnny tossed a glance over his shoulder. “Isn’t that, I don’t know, impossible?”

“Difficult, yes, but not impossible,” Mr. Miyagi assured him. “Must be perfectly balance. Sense each other’s movements.”

“That sounds a lot easier said than done.” LaRusso huffed, maybe with a hint of nervousness.

Johnny smirked. “Scared, LaRusso? Maybe you’ll suck at it, but this’ll be a piece of cake for me.”

LaRusso shot a glare over his shoulder, which only made Johnny smirk more. The challenge was made, and LaRusso didn’t back down from a challenge. “Ha! Because you haven’t been stumbling around the whole time.” His mouth stretched into a cocky, shit eating grin. “I could do this in my sleep.”

Johnny faced forward, grinning, as Mr. Miyagi cut in and instructed them to begin. It turned out to be harder than he thought. The movements themselves weren’t difficult. They already knew it well enough. But once they had to move in perfect sync, it started to fall apart. He lost track of how long they were at or how many attempts they tried. Mr. Miyagi finally told them to take a break, and Johnny settled down on the grass beside LaRusso. Mr. Miyagi headed back into the house. Johnny fell onto his back and stared up at the sky, his chest heaving with his pants after exerting himself for so long.

“Is this what it’s always like for you?” Johnny asked.

LaRusso scooted closer then lay back next to him. Their knuckles brushed against each other, and Johnny grabbed hold of his hand, lacing their fingers together. LaRusso smiled and squeezed his hand.

“Having a partner is new.” LaRusso’s smile faltered, and his eyes flicked about like some part of him had to be in constant movement. “You’re too fast with your kick.”

“What?” Johnny laughed. “You’re the one who’s slow. And some of your turns are too wide.”

“No, they aren’t,” LaRusso protested then huffed. His mouth pursed slightly. “Maybe.” They were silent for a while, relaxing their tired muscles and watching the sky as it grew darker. “Tell me more about you.”

Johnny turned his head, staring at LaRusso’s profile. He cracked a smirk. “You’ll have to be more specific. What exactly do you want to know?”

LaRusso hummed, biting the corner of his mouth as he considered. “How about your family? I don’t know much about them.”

Johnny frowned, jaw clenching. He almost pulled away, almost got up and walked toward the house. But he made himself stay there, though his grip on LaRusso’s hand tightened a little harder than he meant to squeeze it. LaRusso jerked his head toward him with a minor grimace, but worry shone in his eyes.

“My mom was great.” Johnny lowered his gaze away from LaRusso’s. “I never knew my dad. At this point, I don’t care to ever know him. If he ever showed up in front of me, I’d probably punch him.” LaRusso squeezed his hand. “We used to live in shitty apartments.”

“You?” LaRusso asked in disbelief.

“She had me young, and her parents weren’t happy about it. She wanted to keep me, so she had to work crappy jobs to support me. But being a waitress, she didn’t earn a lot. We didn’t have much, but it was a better life. In those shitty apartments, I knew she loved me. It didn’t matter if we didn’t have a lot. I was happy.”

It was weird, how easily the words poured from his mouth. Johnny didn’t like talking about it. He never even spoke about any of this to Ali. He couldn’t. With Ali, he was supposed to be some Encino rich brat, spoiled and dressing in expensive, trendy clothes. He had to look and fit the part, and he couldn’t do that if he went around talking about how poor he used to be. Sometimes, it was easy to just erase all those years before Sid from his mind so he could pretend he had always lived in Encino.

“And then?” LaRusso prodded gently, but Johnny could almost hear it in his voice. He wouldn’t be upset if Johnny decided not to continue. He would be patient, and Johnny appreciated that. It made it even easier for him to relax and keep talking.

“Then she met Sid.” Johnny growled out the name, glowering up at the sky. “He was rich, and she said he could offer me a better life. He bought me stuff just to keep me quiet because he thought my mom had a tight ass.” He looked at LaRusso. “He’s literally talked about my mom like that right to me. Talked about what a young, sexy thing she was. Like that was the only thing about her that mattered.”

LaRusso pulled a face, his nose wrinkling and his eyes narrowing into glaring points. “That’s disgusting.”

“I hated him. And he hated me. All he wanted was my mom, and I was the unfortunate baggage that came with her.” Johnny wanted to pull away, rip his hand free, and just end this whole conversation there before the anger boiled over. But he held LaRusso’s gaze, but he didn’t see the pity he expected. Instead, his anger mirrored back at him, a smoldering fury burning in eyes turning black in the dying light of the day. “He called me good for nothing, worthless, said I would never be anything. He beat me whenever I didn’t do things properly or embarrassed him in front of his rich friends. In the beginning, my mom would try to protect me from the beatings, but as I got older, she would just tell me I should learn to behave and not make Sid mad. I was pissed the first time she said it to me until I realized he hit her too. He hit her because she tried to protect me.”

LaRusso’s hand tightened almost too painfully around his own. The anger shone brighter in his eyes. “I wish I’d known. I wish I could have done something to help you.”

“What could you have done?”

“I don’t know. But you didn’t deserve any of that. And he’s wrong. Because you’re amazing and strong and smart.”

A lazy smirk pulled at Johnny’s mouth. “Are you getting sappy on me, LaRusso?”

“I’m being serious. Your stepdad is an asshole, and he shouldn’t have treated you like that.”

“I’m just glad I never have to see him ever again.” Johnny squeezed LaRusso’s hand appreciatively. “So, yeah, from the outside, my life might have looked great, living it up in a big fancy house, but it was anything but great.”

LaRusso lifted their hands to his mouth then brushed his lips over Johnny’s knuckles. “Sorry if I made things worse for you.”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Not like I wasn’t making your life difficult too.”

“Ha, as if you’re the only one.” LaRusso smirked. “So, what happened to you after high school?”

“No, no.” Johnny uncurled his index finger and poked LaRusso in the cheek. “This isn’t a one way conversation. You don’t get to ask all the questions. Also, I want to know what that remark meant.”

LaRusso sighed then rolled his eyes. “I was a stubborn kid with a big mouth. You really think I wasn’t getting picked on back in Newark? It didn’t help that my cousin made matters worse. There was a reason I wanted to take karate even before moving out here.”

Johnny laughed. “How many girlfriends did you steal back there?”

LaRusso flushed hard. “I didn’t steal anyone’s girlfriend. I guess we can argue about Ali. But to be fair, it’s not like she even mentioned you at the beach. She didn’t tell me the two of you dated until lunch that first day of school.”

“So, if she had told you about me?”

“I don’t know.” LaRusso shrugged. “It might have made a difference. But I guess we’ll never know. I’d like to think I’d be the bigger person and step out of your way. But it’s not like the whole thing was one way. She was flirting with me too.”

Johnny sighed, shaking his head. “I seriously just wanted to talk to her that night. But she was being stubborn, as always, and refused to talk to me.” He laughed suddenly, and LaRusso’s brow creased and his mouth curved downward. “I guess I have a type.” He stared at LaRusso, his flicking over his face. “The stubborn, mouthy type that don’t take shit and have great asses.”

“Ha, ha.” LaRusso rolled his eyes until the last part of the statement caught up to him. Then a blush darkened over his face.

Johnny rolled over, leaning over LaRusso as he braced himself on an arm by his head. “A really great ass.” He wondered just how much he could make LaRusso blush. It was reaching to the tips of his ears now. He captured his mouth, and LaRusso sighed into the kiss. It was slow and undemanding, and Johnny let LaRusso lead, knowing it was important not to rush things. And he thought maybe LaRusso was willing to take things a little further when his mouth parted enough for his tongue to lick teasingly at Johnny’s lips.

“Ahem.”

They broke apart at the throat clearing. Johnny almost forgot all about Mr. Miyagi. Laying there in the grass with LaRusso, it felt like they were in their own little world where nothing else mattered but the two of them. Johnny stared down at LaRusso, who bit down on his lip with the dark flush still on his face.

“I guess we should go eat,” LaRusso said, like he regretted they had to leave this patch of grass.

“Yeah,” Johnny agreed then reluctantly climbed to his feet, offering a hand down for LaRusso.


	11. Chapter 11

Dinner went surprisingly well, even after Mr. Miyagi caught them kissing out in the garden. Daniel expected the whole thing to be weird and awkward. Mr. Miyagi might not care what gender the person who Daniel fell in love with was, but Daniel couldn’t help the nervous knots twisting inside him as they sat around the table for dinner. Mr. Miyagi already said he would be happy if Daniel was happy. But that was before walking out to find them making out in the garden. Would Mr. Miyagi ask them not to kiss around him? Just because he was okay with their relationship, it didn’t mean he was okay watching them kiss. Mr. Miyagi was his best friend, his mentor, his father figure. Daniel didn’t know what he would do if Mr. Miyagi was uncomfortable in anyway with their relationship.

But Mr. Miyagi accepted Johnny like he had always belonged in their home, talking with Johnny like nothing unusual had happened. When Johnny left for the night, Mr. Miyagi gave Daniel a proud smile, which was really all Daniel needed from him to know the kiss hadn’t made him uncomfortable in any way. Daniel relaxed in a wash of relief, and sleep came easily to him that night.

Daniel woke up still happy the next morning. Would Johnny come over again tonight? He wanted to try the wheel technique again. He wanted to talk more with Johnny. When he thought back to their conversation before dinner, anger thrummed through him. He hated Johnny’s stepfather for how he treated him. He never realized Johnny suffered like that. Heaving a sigh, he pushed those thoughts out of his head. He couldn’t change what happened to Johnny in the past.

Daniel threw off his covers and hurriedly got ready for work. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and tried to tame his floppy, wavy locks. Running his fingers through his hair, he frowned at his reflection. Maybe it was time to get it cut. Not too much, but a little so it wasn’t always falling in his eyes. He maintained the longer hairstyle because it seemed to suit his look while living in New York. But he abandoned that style when he returned to California and a more casual fashion that suited who he really was. Sighing, he let his hair slide through his fingers and dropped his hand away. He could worry about his hair later. He left the bathroom and headed for the kitchen.

“Ah, Daniel-san,” Mr. Miyagi greeted him, pulling the phone away from his ear. “For you.”

“It’s not my ma, is it?” Daniel frowned as he accepted the phone when Mr. Miyagi passed it to him. “Hello?” He sighed, not ready to get an earful from his mother this early in the morning.

“Please don’t hang up!”

Daniel’s jaw clenched when he heard Nate’s voice. This was worse than a call from his mother. And he was already dreading when he would have to actually have the whole coming out conversation with her. He glared at a point on the wall but said nothing.

“Um, are you still there?”

Daniel’s mouth thinned, and he fought the urge to simply hang up. “What do you want?” He could feel Mr. Miyagi’s eyes on him and knew he must be wondering about the hostile tone in Daniel’s voice. He probably disapproved of it too.

“Can we talk? Like face to face?” Nate’s voice held a nervous tremor.

“I have work.” Daniel didn’t think Nate deserved any kindness from him.

Nate sighed. “I’ll try to make it short. Do you have a lunch break? We could meet somewhere. Maybe just a cup of coffee. Just,” he sighed again, “can you give me one more chance to talk?”

Daniel closed his eyes, fighting back the storm of anger. He felt it was deserved, but Mr. Miyagi’s words came back to him, about forgiveness. He didn’t want to be that person who held onto anger in his heart. He wanted the balance he always strove to achieve and maintain. If he left things as they were, he would always be out of balance. He breathed out.

“Fine. I’ll meet with you.” Daniel didn’t give Nate a chance to celebrate, like this was some big win for him, and immediately jumped into telling him about a little cafe, near their current worksite, where they could meet. “My lunch break starts at half past noon. If you’re not there, I’ll turn right back around and leave.”

“I’ll be there!”

Daniel hung up the phone. He turned to find Mr. Miyagi staring at him, a deep frown on his aging face. “It’s fine. We’re just going to talk.”

Mr. Miyagi nodded, but there was still worry in his eyes. They sat and ate their breakfast. When they finished eating, they washed up the dishes then left for work. Daniel tried not to think about this little lunch meeting as he drove. He wished it was Johnny he was meeting for lunch.

“Hey, Carl.” Daniel pulled him aside when he got there.

“How’s the bruise?” Carl landed a stern stare on him, folding his arms.

Daniel sighed. “Better. Almost gone.” He frowned when Carl’s expression didn’t change even slightly. He lifted his shirt to show the bruise was mostly brown and yellow at this point, in small splotches over his chest. It didn’t cover nearly as much area as before.

Carl nodded. “Good. Now what did you need?”

“I have this lunch thing,” Daniel explained, letting his shirt fall. “You don’t mind if I pop out for a bit?”

“Johnny?” Carl gave him a sly smirk.

Daniel shook his head with a disappointed frown. “Just a thing. It shouldn’t take too long.”

“A thing? I’m going to need to know more than that.”

“Ugh, fine! It’s the guy I used to like. From New York.” Daniel looked away so he wouldn’t be glaring at Carl. “We didn’t really end things that well yesterday. He wanted to talk today.”

“Did he hurt you?” Carl frowned, and when he looked, Daniel could see the promise of pain in Nate’s future if he had hurt him.

“Physically, no. Emotionally, I was pretty wrecked after I chanced kissing him. But,” Daniel shrugged, “I probably needed that gut punch to wake me up from my stupidity.”

Carl nodded. “Okay. But,” he held up a finger, “if he does anything to hurt you, you let us know.” He placed his hand on Daniel’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “You’re part of our family, after all.”

Daniel laughed. “You’d probably have to fight through Johnny first. And I’m pretty good at taking care of myself. In a fight, anyway.”

Carl laughed too, patting his shoulder. Then he led the way back over to the worksite. Daniel was happy to dive back into remodeling the guest house from ground up for some rich Encino snob.

His lunch break rolled around too soon. Was this meetup going to be a big mistake? It was too late to back out now. Part of him hoped Nate would decide not to show up, but this whole thing was his idea. Daniel parked near the cafe and walked the rest of the way. He glanced through the windows and spotted Nate sitting at one of the tables. His mouth thinned when he noted Nate wore the blue shirt he had always liked. Did Nate make that choice on purpose, or was it merely a coincidence? His jaw clenched as he entered the cafe.

“Danny!” Nate stood when Daniel approached the table. His enthusiasm faded when Daniel glared harshly. “Uh, right. Sorry.” He ducked his head. “Old habit.”

“Let’s just get this over with. My lunch break isn’t that long.” Daniel took his seat opposite of him, and Nate slowly sank back into his chair. “What did you want to say?”

“I’m sorry.” Nate lowered his gaze. “For how I acted. For,” he waved a hand, “doing whatever I did to upset you.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes. “You don’t even get it, do you?”

Nate jerked his head up, and confusion furrowed his brow.

Daniel leaned forward on the table. “I kissed you, and you called it weird. Then, because you think you need me, you find out where I am, _from my ma_ , and think I’ll just run back to New York with you because you kissed me. Like that somehow would fix everything.”

“I’m sorry!” Nate reached out a hand, but Daniel yanked his hands away. He didn’t want to be touched. Nate frowned at the response. “I was out of line. I just-” He sighed, hanging his head. “Everything happening with the play has been stressful. Jane broke up with me. I needed someone. I need _you_. You’re the one that’s always been there to help me, to pick me back up when I’ve hit rock bottom. How am I supposed to get through any of this without my best friend?”

“Do you kiss all your friends to manipulate them into doing what you need from them?”

“That’s not-” Nate snapped his mouth shut, hurt shining in his eyes. “I didn’t mean for it to seem like that. I missed you. You were always there. For six years, we’ve known each other. Then you were gone, and it was like I lost an arm. What was I supposed to do?”

“Stand on your own two feet for once.” Daniel leaned back, folding his arms. “You know what moving back out here taught me?”

Nate shook his head, frowning like he knew he wouldn’t like the answer.

“What we had wasn’t friendship. Friendship isn’t a one sided affair. I put everything about my life on hold for you. I chased your dream to support you. I changed who I was to fit into your world. But what do you know about me that’s actually real?”

Nate’s mouth opened and closed, but he floundered to find an answer.

Daniel huffed a bitter laugh. “Not even one little thing?” Why should that surprise him when Nate couldn’t even remember that he didn’t like being called Danny?

“I’m sorry.” Nate lowered his gaze, his shoulders slumping. “I didn’t realize I was being a bad friend.”

“Maybe you’ll learn to be better to your next friend.”

The hurt was back in Nate’s eyes. “We can’t-”

“No.” Daniel shook his head. “I can forgive you, and I do. But I can’t be friends with you. We need to go our separate ways.”

“Okay,” Nate mumbled glumly. “I understand.” He lifted his gaze. “I’ll miss you, Daniel.”

Daniel stared back. “I do hope your play does well.”

A sad smile flickered across Nate’s face. “I guess this is goodbye.”

Daniel nodded. Then he stood. “I hope you have a happy life.”

“You too.”

When he stepped outside the cafe, Daniel breathed out, his body relaxing. There was a part of him that hurt, that ached at the loss of a friend, or at least someone he once thought of as a friend. But he knew cutting Nate out of his life was for the best. He felt lighter as he walked to the car. He spoke his mind to Nate, and he hoped Nate took this as a lesson for the future. Maybe it could even help him with his on again, off again relationship with Jane.

Carl looked up the second Daniel returned to the worksite. He lifted an eyebrow in silent question, and Daniel offered him a smile to say everything was okay. Daniel sat down with the guys and ate his lunch, hurrying to finish before they had to get back to work. Carl might give him a bit of a pass, but Daniel didn’t want to hold anything up by taking his time to eat.

By the time work ended, Daniel was exhausted but feeling good. He sang along to whatever songs played on the radio as he drove back to Mr. Miyagi’s house. When he agreed to meet up with Nate, he thought it would be a mistake. But he needed this last conversation. He finally felt like he shed the last remnants of his time in New York and was free to move on completely with his life.

When he parked his car, Daniel was surprised to see Johnny’s car already there. Grinning, he hopped out of the car and hurried inside. He found Johnny in the kitchen with Mr. Miyagi, who got off work early that day. For a moment, he stood back, simply watching as Mr. Miyagi hovered by Johnny, quietly instructing him while cooking. He never would have imagined a scene like this back in high school. He almost hated to interrupt it.

“What’s going on here?” Daniel stepped farther into the kitchen.

Johnny twisted around, his eyes wide like he was caught red handed. “Uh, just cooking.”

Daniel lifted an eyebrow as he walked over to them. Johnny carefully laid a long strip of noodle over the top of the 13x9 glass pan. Then he reached for a second noodle. Daniel flicked his gaze around the kitchen counters then back to the pan then up to Johnny. His eyes widened.

“Are you - Did you make those from scratch?”

Color bloomed across Johnny’s cheeks, and Daniel was left speechless at the sight of it. “Your mother said you liked it this way.”

“You talked to my ma?” Daniel gawked, uncertain how he felt about that. Then he heard the quiet laugh from Mr. Miyagi. He snapped his gaze to his sensei.

“Miyagi speak to Daniel-san’s mother.” He smiled then patted Daniel on the shoulder before he left them alone in the kitchen.

“I’m still a little confused.” Daniel frowned, moving to lean against the counter.

Johnny finished laying down the third noodle then sprinkled cheese over the top. “I’m not much of a cook, and I didn’t know what kind of things you’d like to eat. So, I asked Mr. Miyagi, and he thought maybe it would be good to ask your mom. But I thought it would be weird if I called her. Out of the blue. When she probably has no idea about us. So, Mr. Miyagi called to ask her, and he helped make sure I didn’t completely mess this up.”

Daniel laughed, touching a hand to Johnny’s elbow. “You didn’t have to do anything like that.”

“I wanted to.”

It was quiet, almost a mutter, but Daniel didn’t miss it. His chest swelled.

“Any special meals I should know for you?” Daniel smiled as he pressed closer to Johnny’s side.

Johnny shook his head. “I’m a simple guy. I’ll eat most anything.” Then he prodded his elbow against Daniel. “Except that sushi stuff.”

Daniel laughed. “I promise no more sushi.”

Johnny glanced around then kissed him quickly, like he was afraid to be caught by Mr. Miyagi. Daniel held back a whine, wishing the kiss had been longer. He stepped back so Johnny could place the lasagna in the oven to bake. After the timer was set, Johnny turned around to face him.

Daniel smiled, but it faded slightly after a moment. “I saw Nate today.” His heart stopped the moment the words left him. He didn’t want Johnny to be angry with him, but lying about it would be worse. He swallowed, his throat feeling too tight.

Johnny shifted as his mouth thinned. His gaze flicked over Daniel’s face, down his body then up again. His brow furrowed. “Why?”

Daniel wrapped his arms around his waist. He wanted to turn away, but he held Johnny’s gaze. His mouth opened, he swallowed, then he tried again. “Balance has always been important to me. I forgot about that for a while. I got all mixed up because of Nate. I needed this last conversation with him. To forgive him, for my own balance. If I didn’t, I would always be out of balance. You know what Mr. Miyagi told me after he stopped Kreese from choking you?”

Johnny grimaced, uncomfortable. His hand stalled halfway to his throat.

Daniel looked away, guilty for bringing up the memory. “He said that a man with no forgiveness in his heart lives a life worse than death. I can’t live a life like that. I don’t want to have that anger inside me. I didn’t want to see him, but I knew I needed this closure on everything with him. We met. We talked. I said my piece. He won’t be in my life ever again.” He rolled his lower lip between his teeth then hesitantly raised his gaze. “Please don’t hate me.”

Johnny jolted, his expression immediately transforming. His hands grabbed Daniel’s arms and tugged him closer. “Why would you think I would hate you?” When Daniel turned away, Johnny reached up to grab hold of his face, forcing him to look back into wide blue eyes. “I wasn’t angry that you met with him. I was concerned! I was worried he would hurt you again. Or worse, he would manipulate you somehow.” He pulled Daniel closer, resting his forehead against his. “I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

Daniel closed his eyes. “I’m okay now.” He circled his arms around Johnny, hugging him closer. “You up for some more practice after dinner?”

“Definitely.” Johnny tilted his head, dropping a kiss on Daniel’s cheek.


	12. Chapter 12

They were improving fairly well with the wheel technique. At least, Johnny thought so since Mr. Miyagi declared next time they could try out the balance wheel floating in the middle of the pond in the garden. He joked about bringing swim trunks next time. If they were going to get all wet, he was definitely bringing a change of clothes.

After Mr. Miyagi left them for the night, Johnny and LaRusso retreated into the small dojo and faced off in a friendly spar. Trading blows with LaRusso was just as thrilling as kissing him. He could tell LaRusso shared that feeling. Every now and then, he would stop them and adjust LaRusso’s stance, directing him for a more powerful punch. Other times, LaRusso was the one to stop it when he thought some of Mr. Miyagi’s teaching could help improve Johnny’s defense.

Their spar came to end when LaRusso pulled some grappling move and got him on the ground. Johnny managed to flip them over, pinning LaRusso’s arms to the floor. Johnny smirked at his victory, but LaRusso seemed to enjoy the result too.

Johnny smiled dazedly as he remembered their languid make out session. Closing his eyes, he recalled the feel of LaRusso’s smooth tanned skin under his fingers when he slipped a hand under his shirt. He enjoyed the way his lean muscles tensed and relaxed to his touch, and the way LaRusso’s breath hitched.

Shaking the memory from his head, Johnny focused back on his work. He flicked his gaze to the clock on the wall. In another few hours, he would be off from work. He turned back to his patient, trying to regain movement of her right arm. Connie had limited range of motion after the operation on her shoulder, but she wanted to get back into pitching for softball, which meant long, hard work to regain the full range.

“You’re doing well,” Johnny told her encouragingly as their time came to an end.

Connie frowned, rubbing at her arm. “Do you really think I’ll be able to play again? The doctor said even with the surgery, my arm may never be what it was before.”

Johnny placed a comforting hand on her left shoulder. “Right now, it’s important to just focus on the process. Maybe your arm won’t be perfect, but I think you can get most of the range of movement back. It just takes time.”

Connie nodded sadly as he walked her to the door. Johnny understood how important a sport was to someone. After leaving Cobra Kai, there was always that empty void in him where karate used to be, though he did his best to ignore it. Connie’s mother waited for her in the hall. Johnny waved to them as they headed down the hall to the elevators.

His next patient wasn’t due for a while, so Johnny turned the other way, walking through the halls to see if Carmen was free. Or if she maybe still had something homemade he could snack on, instead of having to grab some of the crap out of the cafeteria, or worse the vending machines. He already thought the coffee here was crap enough to avoid it. He didn’t dare touch the food, but there wasn’t enough time to slip out somewhere to grab some food.

Johnny reached the nurse’s station, disappointed when he didn’t see Carmen anywhere. He leaned on the counter.

“Hey, Amy. Where’s Carmen?”

The redhead looked up then grinned. “Oh, hey, Johnny.” She scooted her chair over to where he stood and batted her eyes prettily at him. Yeah, yeah, he knew he was good looking. Over the years, plenty of the nurses flirted with him. Even one or two of the male nurses would check him out. “I think she was checking in on a patient.” Amy frowned. “It didn’t sound like they were doing too well. I think-”

A scream followed by loud clattering came from a room down the hall.

“Carmen,” Johnny whispered, shock gripping him as his eyes widened.

Then his feet were carrying him swiftly down the hall, pushing past stunned nurses and doctors who froze in place after hearing the scream. Johnny skidded when he reached the door. His heart pounded. A doctor, Johnny couldn’t remember the old guy’s name, lay on the floor, blood seeping through his white coat. Carmen moved toward him, but the patient waved a knife in her face. She shrank back, hands held up. How did this asshole even get a knife in here?

“Where are they?” demanded the patient, swinging the knife dangerously close to Carmen. “Where are my drugs?”

Johnny saw red. No one came into his hospital and threatened the people he worked with. Especially Carmen! He moved quickly, the man’s back still to him. The man swung his arm again, and Johnny caught it before the knife could cut Carmen. Then he gave the arm a hard yank, dragging the man away from her.

“Help the doc,” Johnny barked the order. Carmen didn’t need to be told twice. She snatched up the thin sheet from the bed and rushed to the doctor’s side. Balling up the sheet, she pressed it to the wound to stop the bleeding until the situation was calm so they could treat it.

“Let go!” The man twisted toward him, releasing his hold on the knife.

Johnny missed the movement until he felt the blade cut across his belly. He flinched back with a wince, and the man wrenched his arm free. Tossing the knife, the man caught it back in his right hand. His eyes were dark, wide, and wild. Twitchy seemed like a good way to describe his movements.

The man lashed out with the knife again. Johnny reacted immediately, raising his arm to knock the man’s arm away. He followed it with a swift punch to the man’s solar plexus. The knife clattered on the ground, and the man dropped, wheezing and gasping for breath.

It was that moment when the security guards rushed into the room. Johnny stumbled out of the room to let them deal with the junkie. He managed a few steps then hissed in pain. Gingerly, he lifted his ruined shirt to see the angry red line across his stomach, blood slowly oozing from it. When he heard gasps, he lifted his head. Then everything happened in a rush. He was carted off to have the injury looked at, even while he protested that it wasn’t nearly as bad as it looked. None of them listened to him, and he was forced to sit in a room while his injury was cleaned. He hadn’t thought it was that deep, but it ended up needing several stitches before he got bandaged up.

“You don’t have to make such a fuss,” Johnny grumbled when he was finally allowed to leave the room. “Oof!” He winced when he suddenly found an armful of someone squeezing him in a tight hug. After the shock wore off, Johnny recognized who it was. “Carmen!” He pulled back, his hands on her shoulders as worry washed through him. “Are you hurt?”

Carmen shook her head, tears in her eyes. “You had me so scared!”

Johnny pulled her back into a tight hug. “I’m okay. It was just a scratch. Nothing to worry about.” He rubbed a hand over her back.

Unfortunately, the whole incident meant having to stay past his normal hours and rescheduling the sessions with his last patients. The police were called in, and they kept everyone around for questioning until they were satisfied that they had the whole story and all the evidence they needed for the case against the junkie. Plenty of the staff were shaken up after the incident. Johnny just wanted to go home.

When they were released, Johnny walked with Carmen to her car. She said she was fine, but Johnny could tell she was on edge, glancing around like she feared another person with a knife was about to jump out at her. He gave her another hug before she climbed into her car. Then he walked to his own car, and he followed after her on their drive home to their apartment complex. He watched her enter her apartment before entering his own. He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. This was not how he expected his day to go. He walked to his bedroom and changed into a fresh shirt, tossing the ruined one in the trash.

When he left his room, he frowned. His original plan for tonight was to head over to Mr. Miyagi’s house. But with stitches, he knew any kind of training or sparring was off the table. He couldn’t risk pulling them. He headed over to the kitchen and picked up the phone then dialed the now familiar number. It picked up after a few rings.

“Hello?”

Johnny smiled at LaRusso’s voice, feeling maybe a little silly for the happiness and relief that flooded him when he heard it. “Hey, I was thinking maybe you could come to my place tonight.”

“Oh?” LaRusso sounded surprised, and Johnny briefly worried he would say no. “Yeah. Okay. Do you want me to come over now?”

_Please!_ “Yeah, or whenever.”

“Okay. I can be there in, like, twenty minutes.”

“See you then.” The smile returned to Johnny’s face as he hung up the phone. Then he walked over and collapsed onto the couch. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head against the back of the couch. He emptied his mind, trying not to think about anything that happened today. Despite the stitches, he didn’t think the injury was actually that bad. Mostly. It still hurt, but he could push past that stinging pain if he didn’t think too hard about it.

The knock on the door woke him up, and Johnny sprung to his feet, reaching the door in a few long strides. LaRusso smiled when the door opened, standing there with a plastic bag dangling from his hand. It was like that night not too long ago, except Johnny knew he wouldn’t have sushi in there. Johnny closed the door right after LaRusso entered his apartment. Then he pushed LaRusso against the door, crowding into his space. LaRusso stared with wide, surprised eyes, but he didn’t resist when Johnny leaned in and captured his mouth. Johnny kept it soft, gentle, placing his hands on LaRusso’s hips, like it would keep him grounded in this reality, keep his mind at peace in knowing that LaRusso was solid and real.

Did that attack affect him that badly?

When he ended the kiss, Johnny pressed his forehead against LaRusso’s. He wrapped his arms around LaRusso’s waist and hugged him close. LaRusso made a happy sound, looping his free arm around Johnny. They stood like that for several minutes before LaRusso’s big mouth had to ruin the moment.

“Not that I’m not enjoying this, but did something happen?”

Johnny sighed. “Just something happened at work today.” He opened his eyes and found a frown on LaRusso’s face. LaRusso didn’t need to ask in words when his expressive brown eyes made the question clear. “Some junkie pulled a knife at the hospital. One of the doctor’s got stabbed. Carmen was in the room.”

“What?” LaRusso pulled back, as far as the door allowed. His eyes were blown wide open with panic. “Is she okay? Was she hurt?”

Johnny took his face in his hands. “She’s fine. I promise.”

LaRusso frowned, the worry still set in his eyes. He reached back with his free hand and opened the door a crack. He couldn’t get it open much farther with both of them standing there. Johnny sighed, stepping back to give him the space. There was a determination under the worry. LaRusso wouldn’t be satisfied until he saw for himself that she was safe and unharmed. Once he had the door open, LaRusso raced across the courtyard, and Johnny followed after him. Johnny feared LaRusso would pound his fist on the door as soon as he reached it and worried how that might affect Carmen. But when he got there, LaRusso paused, took a breath, then rapped his knuckles gently against the door. Johnny smiled a little. Of course, LaRusso would know better than to potentially spook a woman who was just threatened with a knife.

Carmen cracked open the door. She stared for a second before a smile brightened her face. “Daniel! What are you doing here?” She opened the door wider to allow them to enter.

“Johnny told me about the attack.” LaRusso hugged her fiercely. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Carmen rubbed his back soothingly. “I’m fine. The guy just waved the knife around at me, but I didn’t get hurt. Johnny made sure of that.”

LaRusso pulled back from the hug so he could look back at Johnny. “Well, if I had known you were such a hero, I would have got something fancier for dinner.”

Johnny huffed, looking away from the shining glow of pride in LaRusso’s eyes. “I couldn’t let him hurt Carmen.” He knew LaRusso would have done the same if he were at the hospital during the attack.

“Maybe we can do dinner this weekend,” Carmen suggested. “I think for tonight you should just take it easy. Don’t want to go pulling those stitches.”

The pride washed away into worry, and LaRusso’s mouth pulled downward. “Stitches?”

Johnny grimaced. “It’s not that bad. They got it taken care of right away. Please don’t make a big deal about it.”

LaRusso still frowned. Then he turned to Carmen. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“A little shaken up, but I’m fine.” Carmen kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for checking in on me. But you two should go enjoy your night.” She winked, and a flush darkened LaRusso’s cheeks. They said their goodnights, LaRusso suggesting they could pick a restaurant that had dancing. Carmen agreed happily to that idea.

Once they were back in his apartment, Johnny knew it was coming. He watched LaRusso silently walk over to the table by the kitchen to set down the bag of food he still carried. LaRusso turned to him, and the worry remained bright in his eyes.

“You didn’t give me the chance to tell you the whole story,” Johnny said before LaRusso could work up any anger toward him. “As soon as I mentioned Carmen, you wanted to race over to check on her.”

LaRusso fidgeted. “Sorry.”

Shaking his head, Johnny walked over to him. “If things were reversed, I would have done the same.” His mouth pulled upward. “I’m glad you care so much for her. Carmen’s been important to me since I went to school for physical therapy.”

“I really like her.” LaRusso smiled. “And I’m glad she’s been there for you.”

“Okay, okay.” Johnny sighed. “I can see it in your eyes.” He pulled up the hem of his shirt to show the gauze taped over where the knife sliced through his belly.

LaRusso hesitantly stepped closer. His fingers brushed over the gauze. His gaze lingered there, like he was seeing through it to the torn flesh. Then his eyes lifted to Johnny. “Does it hurt?”

“Not much. I knew it happened, but it wasn’t until after everything was done that I actually felt the pain.” Johnny let his shirt fall. “But like I said, they fixed me up pretty quick. Guess there are some perks to it happening at a hospital.” He smirked, but he could see LaRusso wasn’t very amused by it. Lightly circling his hand around LaRusso’s left wrist, he raised the arm and rolled down the sleeve. “How much did this,” his thumb ran over the scar, “hurt?”

LaRusso rolled his eyes. “Okay. I get it.”

Johnny stared, bringing the arm closer to him, brushing his lips over the faint line marring the tanned flesh. LaRusso sucked in a breath. “No, I really want to know.”

“Hurt like fucking hell,” LaRusso mumbled, his eyes remaining locked with Johnny’s. “But I didn’t let that stop me from kicking the guy’s ass.”

Johnny smirked against his arm. “Of course. You never stay down.” He left a trail of kisses down the scar, and LaRusso shifted a step closer. “Did Nate even know you were hurt?”

“I was pretty good at hiding things about myself from him. Or maybe he was just too obsessed with himself to notice.”

Johnny scowled. “What did you even see in him? Who could be too blind to notice you?” The blush creeping down LaRusso’s neck was enough to whisk away the burst of anger.

“It was the first time I actually allowed myself to admit I might like guys too. I guess I let that go to my head, and I just fell into this role without realizing.” LaRusso sighed. “I went there to study business, and I ended up doing some theater on the side. Because of Nate.” He rolled his eyes. “You know, I was actually supposed to be in the play he wrote? I was always playing parts when he needed someone to fill a role. But the producer hated me, so the only way to get him to agree to look at the play was to promise I wouldn’t be in it.”

“Is everyone in New York fucking stupid?”

LaRusso laughed, and Johnny wanted to always hear that sound from him. “I’m beginning to think that’s the case. But whatever. It worked out better this way. Besides, being someone I’m not is exhausting.”

“You never have to pretend with me.” Johnny grinned, tugging LaRusso against him. “I already know all about you being a little shit.”

LaRusso snorted out a laugh. “And you’re an asshole.”

“You love me anyway.” Johnny kissed him.

“Guess I do.” Another kiss. “We should probably eat before the food gets cold.”

Johnny sighed, but at the mention of food, he realized just how hungry he was. He was damn lucky LaRusso decided to pick up dinner on his way over. “Yes, food, thank you!” Johnny squeezed his arms around LaRusso, who laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question time! So, out of curiosity, if Daniel and Johnny opened a dojo together and decided not to use Miyagi-do, Cobra Kai, or a combination of the two for the name, what do you think would be a good name for the dojo?


	13. Epilogue

Nothing was ever perfect. They had their fights. Sometimes, they were over some stupid little detail that got blown out of portion to the point that neither of them remembered what exactly set them off, except that Daniel would end up back at Mr. Miyagi’s house, stewing in anger, sometimes for a week. But once they cooled off, or Mr. Miyagi and Carmen knocked some sense into them, they would find a way to make up.

It was at about the three month mark of them dating when Daniel moved into Johnny’s apartment. Furniture was one of those things that set them off, their first fight. Johnny thought his furniture was perfectly fine, if a bit old. Daniel agreed, afterward, but he just wanted to have something around the apartment that was his. He reluctantly admitted that it reminded him too much of living with Nate where everything in that apartment in New York was distinctly Nate. He simply wanted the apartment to feel like it was his too. Johnny apologized for not taking his feelings into consideration. It had felt like an attack to him. He ended up letting Daniel pick out a few things to add to the apartment, which included a new mattress. His old one was too lumpy, and Daniel was surprised he didn’t have back problems from sleeping on it.

Johnny got grumpy when Daniel asked about what he did after high school. It was a time in his life Johnny said he didn’t like thinking about. He got into college, but Sid withdrew any financial help, despite any attempts by his mother to make him help. In Sid’s words, he wasn’t about to keep spending money on a worthless shit after Johnny turned eighteen. Daniel hated that man so much. Johnny spent the next year and a half working for Bobby’s dad, drinking too much and getting a little too into drugs with Tommy. He got into a lot of bar fights too. Then he landed in the hospital. He was in such a fucked up state at that point, he couldn’t say what exactly landed him there, probably a combination of things. But Bobby was there, and they talked, and Johnny realized he had to take a hard look at his life and clean up his act. He was being exactly the person Sid always thought he was, and like hell he was going to let that asshole be right. With Bobby’s help, Johnny started therapy. Bobby even got Tommy into rehab. And through the therapy, Johnny came to the decision to look into becoming a physical therapist. Daniel showered him in kisses, appreciating that Johnny had told him about that dark time in his life.

It was late one night sometime in March, and they knew they needed to get some sleep, but neither seemed ready to actually fall asleep. Daniel rested his hand on Johnny’s chest, listening to his steady heartbeat as he stared with half closed eyes at the wall. He was starting to drift, but the call of slumber still eluded him. Then Johnny picked up his hand and ran his thumb over his knuckles. Daniel tensed; his eyes wide open now. They left the light on by the bed, and he knew Johnny could easily see the scars there. He tried to pull his hand away, return it to where he had rested it on the chest he was using as a pillow. But Johnny kept a firm hold on his hand. Daniel swallowed, hard, and pointedly kept his gaze on the wall.

“Where did these come from?”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“I know you’re still awake.”

Daniel sighed. He knew eventually it would come out, but he thought maybe he would have more time. It wasn’t that long ago that Johnny told him all about his past. It was only fair he be open and honest too. With a shaky breath, he told Johnny everything about the tournament in ‘85. The stupid new rule, the lie about Kreese being dead, Mike Barnes harassing him into signing up for the tournament, Silver’s training, and their whole twisted plan to make him suffer and bleed. Johnny cursed worse than a drunken sailor, holding Daniel tightly to him. Daniel could tell Johnny was resisting the urge to run out into the night and hunt down the bastards who did that to him.

“Can I see them?” The whispered request came in the morning after they managed a few hours of sleep.

Daniel hesitated, sickness twisting in knots. Like the scar on his left forearm, he preferred to keep these scars hidden. But he nodded. And damn, did he feel so exposed and vulnerable when he sat there while Johnny examined the damage done by Silver’s training. Then Johnny placed kisses on every bit of scarred flesh, like he was worshipping all of Daniel’s imperfections. By the time Johnny worked his way up to capture his mouth, the tears in Daniel’s eyes were streaming down his face. Johnny kissed the tears away, whispering comforting words to him. Daniel felt silly for crying over something that happened so long ago. Or maybe it was because of how gently Johnny was treating him and not looking at him like something broken and twisted. Those blue eyes stared at him like he was strong.

The Okinawa story came out far less dramatically. They went over to Mr. Miyagi’s house one day in June for their usual training session. Daniel’s eyes lit up when he saw the visitor sitting with Mr. Miyagi.

“Sato-san!” Daniel bowed to him and Sato returned it. “What brings you here?”

“I came to see an old friend.”

“Remembering father and sensei.” Mr. Miyagi bowed his head.

“Ah.” Some of the joy left Daniel’s face. Johnny stood quietly beside him, but Daniel could practically hear the questions swirling around in his head. “This is Johnny, my boyfriend. Johnny, this is Sato-san. He’s Mr. Miyagi’s best friend. They both trained under Mr. Miyagi’s father.”

“Pleased to meet you, Sato-san.” Johnny bowed to him.

“You best treat our Daniel-san well.” Sato gave him a severe stare, and Johnny gulped. “Ah, Daniel-san.” Sato reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket. Then he passed over a thick envelope.

Daniel didn’t need to ask when he saw his name in a familiar handwriting on front. “Thank you, Sato-san!” He bowed again as he took the envelope. “We’re going to do some sparring in the dojo.” He took Johnny’s hand and led the way out back.

“What’s all that about?” Johnny always seemed to be able to sense when there was more to a story when it came to Daniel.

“After graduation, we went to Okinawa. Mr. Miyagi’s father was dying and wanted to see him.” They entered the dojo, and Daniel opened the envelope. Inside, he found dozens of pictures from Kumiko, from all her performances over the years. He smiled at them, always knowing she would succeed in her dream and become an amazing dancer. When he looked up, he found Johnny frowning at him. “Right. The rest of the story.”

Daniel took a seat, leaning up against the wall, and Johnny joined him, taking the pictures to have a look at them. Daniel started with the whole affair from Mr. Miyai’s youth, him falling in love with Yukie and the arranged marriage. Johnny grumbled at that, maybe a bit disgusted at the idea but maybe seeing a bit of understanding when he heard Yukie’s family was poor and Sato’s family was rich. Maybe he related to it because of his own mother and Sid. Then Daniel told the story of their actual trip. He loved being there and seeing where Mr. Miyagi grew up. It was an amazing experience. After all the life and death matches were over. He rubbed absently at his throat, still remembering the feel of the spear’s staff pressing against his throat.

“Never thought that would be something we had in common.” Johnny grimaced, and Daniel’s gaze lingered on his neck like he could still see phantom bruises left there back Kreese. “So, this is Ms. Okinawa? The girl who you fell in love with after Ali?” He held up one of the pictures.

Daniel’s face burned. “It was a summer romance, and we’re just friends now.”

Johnny laughed. “I don’t blame you though. She’s a beauty.”

Daniel grinned. “You should see her dance.”

Johnny shook his head. “I’d rather watch you dance.” He leaned over stealing a kiss before Daniel could stutter out a response.

November was ending, and Daniel finished setting the table. Dinner was almost ready, and Johnny was sure to walk through the door at any moment. Daniel walked back over to the stove to make sure nothing burned. He rolled his lower lip between his teeth. Why was he getting all nervous about this? He tossed a glance toward the door, and his stomach lurched with anxiety. This was simply a normal dinner, nothing compared to the Thanksgiving meal they had over at Mr. Miyagi’s. His mother came to visit for it, and Daniel finally had to tell her about his relationship with Johnny. He was an utter wreck of nerves when they finally arrived at his sensei’s house and had to make the introductions. His mother naturally gave Johnny a sharp, scrutinizing glare before warning him about hurting her “baby boy.” Daniel thought he would die right there from embarrassment. He spent the whole meal nervously waiting for his mother to announce her disapproval, but by dessert, Johnny had her completely charmed.

Daniel was still lost in his thoughts when the door opened. He glanced back over his shoulder, smiling as Johnny shuffled into the apartment. “I hope you’re hungry.” He started serving their dinner onto plates.

“Is there something going on?” Johnny dumped his bag and coat on the couch before he walked over to the kitchen. “Pretty sure we don’t have an anniversary.” He squinted at Daniel as he accepted his plate. “So, what are we celebrating?”

Damn. Of course, Johnny figured it out right away. “Can we at least sit first?” Daniel carried his plate over to the table and sat down.

“Is this good or bad?” Johnny frowned, sitting opposite him.

“Depends.” Daniel bit the corner of his lip, the knot twisting tighter inside him. He thought it was something they would both enjoy, but he also realized past memories could sour the whole thing. Johnny continued to stare at him, not touching his dinner. Daniel sighed, having hoped to save the surprise until after they ate. He reached behind him, pulling the folded envelope from his pocket. After taking a moment to smooth it out, hesitating, delaying, he handed it over.

Johnny’s gaze flicked over the front of the envelope before lifting to meet Daniel. “You read my mail?”

Daniel shook his head. “But I’m assuming it’s probably the same as the one I got.”

Johnny focused back on the envelope, and Daniel worried his lower lip. Then he tore it open and removed the single sheet of paper folded up inside it. His eyes slowly read through the letter. Daniel fidgeted, the silence making him more anxious by the second.

“We don’t have to,” Daniel blurted out when he couldn’t take it any longer. “I thought it might be - But I don’t want to pressure you. I get it.” His shoulders slumped. “Bad memories. But - I mean-” He frowned, lowering his gaze. “I don’t know. I guess, for some reason, it felt like the whole thing between us meant something. You know, besides all the anger and pain we caused each other.”

“Are you going to let me talk?” Johnny flicked his gaze up with a hint of amusement.

Daniel bit his tongue and nodded.

“They want us to attend the All Valley tournament? As some kind of ten year reunion thing?” Johnny quirked an eyebrow upward.

Coldness settled in Daniel’s gut. “It’s not - I don’t want to go to gloat or something. This isn’t some kind of ‘ha, ha, remember when I kicked your ass’ thing. Karate has always been important to us, but because of all that shit with Cobra Kai, we’ve never gone back. I think it could be, I don’t know, good for us. Like saying all that shit didn’t win.” He shifted in his seat, leaning forward on the table. “You know what my favorite part of the ‘84 tournament was? It was when you handed me the trophy. Not because I won, but because you told me I was all right. That meant a lot to me.”

“I thought you were going to let me talk.”

Daniel winced, dropping his gaze. Then Johnny reached across the table, laying a hand over Daniel’s.

“I wasn’t going to say no, idiot.”

Daniel jerked his head. “You weren’t?”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “No. You didn’t give me a chance to speak, again. You do that a lot. And you work yourself up with all those negative thoughts too much.” He squeezed Daniel’s hand. “It’ll be nice to see what the next generation looks like.”

Daniel smiled. “I’ll try to stop working myself up like that.”

“You’ll try.” Johnny did that half smirk thing that always made Daniel feel like his stomach was trying to do flips. “But you’ll fail. You can’t help it. That’s just who you are.”

Daniel huffed. “Well, you still love me.”

Johnny hummed as he rubbed his thumb over the faint scars of Daniel’s knuckles. “Very much so.” He smirked wider when Daniel flushed darkly.

His birthday came right before the tournament. They invited Mr. Miyagi and Carmen over, even the guys from his work stopped by. They shared a meal and some beer, and it was a nice little celebration. Daniel didn’t even care what anyone got him for presents, or if they got him anything at all. His birthdays in New York went mostly unnoticed. He didn’t really have anyone else there besides Nate, and Nate’s attention was always on writing his plays or spending too much time with Jane. He did get letters from his mother and Mr. Miyagi each year, so that was nice. Right now, though, Daniel was overjoyed to be surrounded by people who actually cared about him. It sounded cliche and lame, but that truly was the best gift he could ask for.

Maybe he was a little disappointed that Johnny didn’t get him something.

In the morning, they had a quick breakfast then got ready to head to the All Valley Sports Arena. The parking lot was already nearly full by the time they arrived, and the inside was a madhouse of people hurrying to get their kids signed in and figure out where to go. Daniel smiled fondly, remembering what it was like his first time participating. The next year had less fond memories. Johnny grabbed his hand and pulled him along to go find good seats where they could watch the participants as they fought their way through to the final eight.

“Oh, that kid has potential.” Johnny nudged his shoulder into Daniel and nodded his head toward one of the kids.

Daniel glanced over just as the kid swiftly took down his opponent and earned his third point to win the match. “Not bad. Still left himself open.”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “You’re one to talk there.” He grinned when Daniel huffed, cheeks puffing out. “Who’s your pick?”

Daniel gave the arena a quick glance then nodded toward a match happening on the other side. “That girl.”

Johnny blinked as he looked over. “They started letting girls in?”

“Got a problem with that?” Daniel glared.

“Just thinking it was about time.” Johnny’s brows shot upward. “Especially one that’s a complete powerhouse. Did you see that kick?”

Daniel grinned. “She’s definitely making it to the finals.”

They kept pointing out who they thought might make it to the finals, critiquing the fights, and pointing out what certain kids needed to focus on to improve. Daniel grinned triumphantly when his first pick made it into the semi-finals. Johnny grumbled when a cheap shot knocked his pick out of the tournament.

The staff started preparing things for the semi-finals and finals rounds. It was a nice little break, and some of the audience got up to stretch their legs or look for refreshments before the last matches of the day. A man approached them at that point.

“Mr. LaRusso, Mr. Lawrence,” he greeted with an excited smile, shaking both their hands. “I’m so happy you could make it. I’m Jim Sinclair, one of the committee board members. This is going to be amazing.”

“What is?” Daniel blinked at the man then to Johnny as he stood.

“Are you both ready? We can start once everything’s set up,” Jim continued.

“Ready?” Daniel stood up too, his brow furrowing. Why was Johnny smirking like that? “Ready for what?”

“Your demonstration, of course!” Jim looked as happy as a kid waiting to open his presents on Christmas morning. “Oh, the board’s been talking about this since last week! It’s like a rematch for the ages! The ‘84 champion Daniel LaRusso facing off against his rival Johnny Lawrence, the previous champion. Oh, this is going to be so good! I mean, all in good fun, but still so good!”

“I - What?” Daniel jerked his gaze to Johnny, who was still smirking. “You knew about this?”

Johnny leaned over, close to Daniel’s ear. “Happy birthday.”

Daniel’s eyes widened, and maybe his cheeks felt a little warm. “But we don’t have our gi. I don’t even know if I have one that fits.”

Johnny chuckled. “It’s all taken care of. Mr. Miyagi and I had some new ones made up and sent over for us. We just have to go change.”

“I can’t believe you knew about this. For a week!”

“That would have ruined the surprise.” Johnny placed a hand at the small of his back. “And we should probably go change so we don’t hold this whole thing up.”

Daniel shook his head, grinning, as they followed Jim to the locker room where they could change. And sitting right there on a bench was a bag with their gi, just like the ones they wore in ‘84. Daniel still couldn’t believe this was happening, or that Johnny had secretly planned this. With Mr. Miyagi’s help! But excitement thrummed through him. He loved sparring with Johnny. Flicking his gaze to Johnny, he grinned as he finished tying the black belt around his waist. Johnny still looked amazing in his sleeveless black gi. When he caught him staring, Johnny winked, and a flush of heat reached to the tip of Daniel’s ears.

“Let’s give them a good show.” Johnny held up a fist, and Daniel knocked his own fist against it. They were both ready for this. They left the locker room, directed by the staff on where to wait before being called up for the demonstration.

“We have a special treat for you all this year,” the announcer said. “Ten years ago, we witnessed a final match that still gets talked about to this day. We all remember the famous Crane Kick.” The announcer laughed as the audience cheered. Maybe there was a boo or two.

Daniel tossed a glance to Johnny, but he only saw his game face. Johnny was focusing on their spar to come, not whatever the announcer said or the crowd’s reaction. Right. This was going to be fun, but it was still like any of their spars where they sought to see who would come out on top.

“We’d like to welcome those two opponents today,” the announcer continued when the cheering died down. “For a friendly spar. So, let me introduce you to Johnny Lawrence!”

Johnny walked out onto the mat with an arm raised as he waved to the applauding crowd.

“And Daniel LaRusso!”

Daniel took a breath and released it slowly before he followed, giving the crowd a wave too. They took up their positions opposite each other on the mat. After they bowed to each other, Johnny with a smirk and Daniel with a grin, they fell into their usual stances. It was like being transported back to ‘84. Everything felt the same. Except Daniel’s knee wasn’t injured. Except there was no Kreese on the sideline encouraging Johnny to go for the knee and show no mercy. Except Mr. Miyagi wasn’t watching and giving his silent support. Except there was no anger in bright blue eyes or fear in large brown eyes. They faced off, and there was only that thrill of testing strength and skill against an equal opponent.

Johnny struck first, but Daniel met him at every turn. Both were stubborn, and neither knew how to back down from the other. Their styles had grown and changed over the last ten years. The crowd gasped and cheered as they exchanged blows and points. The match was called, 2-2, with neither of them willing to give up that last point, but they were only given a certain amount of time before they needed to get back to the tournament matches. Daniel grinned as they bowed to each other again, both sweating and panting from the fight. After another wave to the crowd, they walked off the mat and back to the locker room.

“Thanks,” Daniel said, slipping his arms around Johnny’s waist once they were alone. “That was a great gift.”

“I thought you might like it.” Johnny tugged him closer and kissed him deeply.

**Author's Note:**

> Another 90s AU, but I saw [this](https://oceluna.tumblr.com/post/635314583008165888/precious-little-angel-dont-you-worry-dont-you) and had to go look up what movie it came from, which led to watching the whole kiss scene, and this whole idea popped into my head. So, yeah, the beginning kind of takes that scene.


End file.
